HOME DEPARTMENT

Departmental Written Questions

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many parliamentary questions for (a) ordinary written answer and (b) written answer on a named day by her Department have remained unanswered for a period of two months since May 2010.

Damian Green: From May 2010 to 30 November 2011, 39 ordinary written questions and 21 named day written question remained unanswered for a period of two calendar months. This includes periods that cover non-sitting Fridays, weekends, public holidays and periods of recess, when questions cannot be answered.
	The Government have committed to providing the Procedure Committee with information relating to written parliamentary question performance on a sessional basis and will provide full information to the Committee at the end of the Session. Statistics relating to Government Departments’ performance for the 2009-10 parliamentary session were previously provided to the Committee and are available on the Parliament website.

Departmental Written Questions

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many questions for written answer received by her Department have not received an answer within (a) one month, (b) two months and (c) three months or more since May 2010.

Damian Green: The information requested is provided in the following table. These data include periods that cover non-sitting Fridays, weekends, public holidays and periods of recess, when questions cannot be answered.
	
		
			  Number 
			 Number of written questions for answer from May 2010-30 November 2011 5,902 
			 Written answers overdue by 1-2 months 165 
			 Written answers overdue by 2-3 months 41 
			 Written answers overdue by three or more months 19 
		
	
	The Government have committed to providing the Procedure Committee with information relating to written parliamentary question performance on a sessional basis and will provide full information to the Committee at the end of the Session. Statistics relating to Government Departments' performance for the 2009-10 parliamentary Session were previously provided to the Committee and are available on the Parliament website.

Departmental Written Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of written questions for answer on a named day received a substantive answer within five working days in each of the last six months.

Damian Green: The information requested, to November 2011, is provided in the following table.
	
		
			 Named day questions receiving a substantive answer within five working days 
			  Number received Percentage answered within five working days 
			 June 2011 99 82.3 
			 July 2011 96 68.8 
			 August 2011 0 — 
			 September 2011 75 72 
			 October 2011 54 92.6 
			 November 2011 143 72 
		
	
	The Government have committed to providing the Procedure Committee with information relating to written parliamentary question performance on a sessional basis and will provide full information to the Committee at the end of the Session. Statistics relating to Government Department's performance for the 2009-10 parliamentary Session were previously provided to the committee and are available on the Parliament website.

Driving Offences

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will take steps to permit persons found guilty of an offence under section 14(3) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to attend a driving safety course paid for by the offender that includes instruction on the benefits of wearing seat belts in lieu of a fine; and if she will make a statement. [R]

Nick Herbert: The police can offer such courses at their discretion. They do not require Government permission.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton of 9 November 2011 concerning Mrs Sabba Ali.

Kenneth Clarke: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.
	A reply has now been sent.

Police: Rural Areas

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to ensure the provision of funding for rural police forces.

Nick Herbert: The vast majority of Government funding is allocated using the police allocation formula (PAF). PAF distributes funding based on relative police workload, taking into account population sparsity to address the specific needs of rural forces.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Computers

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer of 12 December 2011, Official Report, column 460W, on computers, if the House of Commons Commission will consider alternative ways of disposing of obsolete laptop and desktop computers that would raise greater revenue per computer than was raised by the last disposal process.

John Thurso: The parliamentary ICT department has not identified any disposal options likely to raise more revenue per computer, but the Commission would be pleased to consider any option which could do so.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Children: Maintenance

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has any plans to vary the statutory interest rate absent parents with assets valued over £65,000 are charged by the Child Support Agency.

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to my hon. Friend with the information requested and I have seen the response.
	Letter from Noel Shanahan
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has any plans to vary the statutory interest rate absent parents with assets valued over £65,000 are charged by the Child Support Agency.
	Child Support law prescribes that in specific circumstances the calculation used to determine child maintenance liability can be varied if it is ‘just and equitable’ to do so via the child support variations rules. One of these circumstances is when it is appropriate to allow the interest on any income produced by capital to be taken into account as income for child maintenance purposes.
	Child Support legislation provides that in instances where a variation on these grounds is agreed, in order to calculate what income is derived from any capital held, the statutory rate of interest should be applied. As this is presently set at 8% we are obliged by law to adhere to this figure. This rate, which is used across government for a variety of purposes, is set by the Ministry of Justice and therefore the Commission is not in a position to alter the level. I should also add that the rate to be used is dependant on the jurisdiction within the UK within which the non-resident parent habitually resides. A parent living in England or Wales may pay a different rate to a parent living in Scotland. The rate is not intended to represent an amount which reflects the income a parent can guarantee to achieve from their asset. It is intended to reflect longer-term trends in interest rate levels, and therefore is not subject to fluctuation on a day-to-day basis.
	Using this statutory rate provides Child Support Agency staff with a simple means to obtain an income figure where grounds for a departure or variation may exist. It means that they do not have to contend with complexities arising from the fact that the actual achievable return may vary considerably from case to case or over time, for example, due to market trends or the nature of the asset itself. There are currently no plans to amend the legislation in this area for the existing child maintenance schemes.
	However, you may be interested to know that on 1 December 2011 the Government launched a public consultation on the Child Support Maintenance Calculations Regulations 2012 which will run until 23 February 2012. These Regulations will provide most of the detailed rules for calculating statutory child maintenance under the new scheme of child maintenance to be introduced in the course of 2012.
	The Government are proposing that where a child maintenance calculation is varied under the new scheme, the actual income that is produced from any assets will be taken into account and the statutory rate of interest will not be applied to the asset. This is because in the new scheme child maintenance calculations will be based upon actual income data obtained from HMRC, rather than applying notional amounts based on a non-resident parent's assets.
	The proposed Regulations, detailed consultation document and other related items can be found here:
	http://www.childmaintenance.org/en/publications/consultations.html

Employment Schemes

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the funding arrangements are for Work programme providers which provide Mandatory Work Activity.

Chris Grayling: Each Mandatory Work Activity provider receives a single payment at the point a person starts on a work placement arranged by the provider, the amount depending on the individual contract. Mandatory Work Activity and the Work programme are entirely separate programmes and separately contracted, and the fact that a provider might deliver both has no bearing on funding arrangements.

Housing Benefit: Fraud

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will support local authorities with funding to ensure that they continue to employ housing benefit fraud investigators until the commencement of universal credit in 2013.

Steve Webb: From 2013, the new Single Fraud Investigation Service (SFIS) will be formed by consolidating the benefit and tax credit fraud investigation teams across DWP, local authorities and HMRC, which will enable them to undertake a single investigation for the first time. This will be a more efficient way of using investigative resources, and it will ensure the expertise that currently exists across all these areas is not lost.
	Local authority staff will remain employed by local authorities, but they operate under SFIS powers, policies, processes and priorities. We will continue to work collaboratively with them to co-design an operational structure for SFIS from 2013.

Pensions

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to improve transparency in pension charges and transfers before the introduction of auto-enrolment.

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he plans to take to increase transparency in the charges, fees and commissions paid by consumers on private pensions; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: On 15 December 2011, we published a consultation paper, ‘Meeting future workplace pensions challenges: improving transfers and dealing with small pots’, which seeks views and evidence on possible options to reduce the number of small pension pots and facilitate transfers to enable individuals to consolidate their pension saving.
	The Government welcome recent initiatives, involving the National Association of Pension Funds and other stakeholders with an interest in pension provision, to develop an industry code of practice to support greater transparency in the charges made on workplace pensions.

Poverty: Children

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many children (a) in total, (b) with learning difficulties, (c) with autistic spectrum disorders, (d) with disabilities and (e) under the age of five are living in poverty in each (i) parliamentary constituency and (ii) local authority area in Scotland;
	(2)  how many households with children (a) aged under five and (b) of any age are living in poverty in each (i) parliamentary constituency and (ii) local authority area in Scotland.

Maria Miller: Estimates of the number and proportion of children living in poverty are published in the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series. HBAI uses household income adjusted (or ‘equivalised’) for household size and composition, to provide a proxy for standard of living.
	The sample size of this survey is not sufficient to provide estimates for small areas such as those requested. However, figures for Scotland are available.
	Information about children with learning difficulties and with autistic spectrum disorders is not included in the HBAI datasets, therefore we are unable to provide the number and proportion of children in these groups in poverty.
	Three survey years have been combined because single year estimates are not considered to be sufficiently reliable.
	Statistics covering 2007-08 to 2009-10 are the most recent available.
	
		
			 Table 1: Number and proportion of children (a) in total, (b) with disabilities and (c) under the age of five who are living in relative poverty before housing costs (BHC) in Scotland, 2007-08 to 2009-10 
			  Number in relative poverty (Million) Proportion in relative poverty (Percentage) 
			 All children 0.2 20 
			 Children with disabilities (1)0.0 24 
			 Children aged under five 0.1 22 
			 (1) The number of children with disabilities in relative poverty is under 50,000. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Number and proportion of households with children (a) aged under five and (b) of any age, who are living in relative poverty BHC in Scotland  ,   2007-08 to 2009-10 
			  Number in relative poverty (Million) Proportion in relative poverty (Percentage) 
			 Households with children aged under five 0.1 22 
			 All households with children (any age) 0.1 20 
			 Notes 1. These statistics are based on Households Below Average Income (HBAI) data sourced from the Family Resources Survey (FRS) available at: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=hbai_arc This uses disposable household income, adjusted using modified OECD equivalisation factors for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 2. Net disposable incomes have been used to answer the question. This includes earnings from employment and self-employment, state support, income from occupational and private pensions, investment income and other sources. Income tax, payments, national insurance contributions, council tax/domestic rates and some other payments are deducted from incomes. 3. Figures have been presented on a before housing cost rather than an after housing cost basis. For before housing costs, housing costs are not deducted from income, while for after housing costs they are. 4. All estimates are based on survey data and are therefore subject to a degree of uncertainty. Small differences should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. 5. The reference period for these HBAI figures is three financial years. 6. Number of children has been rounded to the nearest 100,000 children. In table 1, the number of children with disabilities is under 50,000. 7. Proportion of children in low-income households has been rounded to the nearest percentage point. 8. For this analysis, disability is defined as having any long-standing illness, disability or infirmity that leads to a significant difficulty with one or more areas of the individual’s life. This is consistent with the definition of disability used in the HBAI publication. Everyone classified as disabled under this definition would also be classified as disabled under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), but these estimates do not reflect the total number of children covered by the DDA as the Family Resources Survey, the source of the Households Below Average Income series, does not fully collect this information. 9. This measure is defined as: Relative poverty: children living in households with equivalised incomes below 60% of contemporary median household income before housing costs (BHC). 10. The Child Poverty Act 2010 sets three further income-based UK-wide targets to be met by 2020. The targets are based on the proportion of children living in households with combined low income and material deprivation, absolute low income and persistent poverty. Source: Households Below Average Income 1994-95 to 2009-10, DWP.

HEALTH

Dementia:

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what spending his Department has recently incurred on radio advertisements relating to dementia; and for what reason it has commissioned such advertisements.

Simon Burns: In the 2011-12 financial year, the Department has spent £276,573 on radio advertising relating to dementia. The advertising formed part of the national dementia: early signs and symptoms campaign, which was commissioned to help more people receive an early diagnosis.

Hearing Impaired: Children

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children in Somerset were identified as deaf through the newborn hearing screening programme in each of the last five years.

Anne Milton: The information requested is not held centrally.
	Information is available from the NHS Newborn Hearing Screening Programme website at:
	http://hearing.screening.nhs.uk/statistics

Meningitis: Vaccination

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on making pneumococcal conjugate vaccine available to adults in clinical risk groups; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: There are two types of pneumococcal vaccine:
	Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV); and
	Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV).
	At present, the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (Prevenar 13) is recommended for use in the national childhood immunisation programme for children up to the age of five.
	The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is awaiting the results of a major research study that is looking at how effective the Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (Prevenar 13 ) is in preventing pneumococcal disease in older people. The JCVI will consider the research findings as soon as they become available.
	The pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (Pneumovax) should continue to be used for the national pneumococcal programme for those aged 65 and over and at-risk groups aged two years and over.

Mental Health Services

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what basis a person diagnosed with a degenerative and progressive neurological condition who has been awarded NHS continuing health care may have it withdrawn; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: Those in receipt of NHS funded continuing health care will have their needs reviewed at least annually. If their needs no longer meet the eligibility requirements, funding for continuing health care will be withdrawn.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Departmental Equality

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what equality impact assessments his Department has carried out since May 2010; and for what purpose in each case.

Andrew Stunell: The Department for Communities and Local Government considers equality issues in exercising its functions, to comply with equality legislation and to ensure it understands how its activities will affect different people. The conclusions are used to inform policies and programmes in various ways. Sometimes this information is published in the form of an equality impact assessment, although there has never been a legal requirement to produce such documents.
	During the period in question DCLG carried out 35 equality impact assessments.

European Regional Development Fund

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will meet representatives of the Industrial Communities Alliance to discuss take-up of European regional development fund resources.

Grant Shapps: The Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my noble Friend Baroness Hanham, who is responsible for European regional development fund programmes in England, is arranging to meet the Industrial Communities Alliance to discuss take up of fund resources.

TREASURY

Bristol and West Building Society

Ian Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to protect the interests of holders of perpetual subordinated bonds originally issued by the Bristol and West Building Society.

Mark Hoban: holding answer 7 November 2011
	Bristol and West permanent interest bearing securities were transferred to Bank of Ireland by court order in 2007 as part of a transfer of business. The Irish Minister of Finance announced on 2 December 2011, following Bank of Ireland's successful capital-raising exercise, that he is no longer considering applying for a subordinated liability order, which could have been used to write down the value of bonds including these securities.
	As a matter of course the Government do not comment on or intervene in disputes between a bank and their bondholders.

Britain Building Investment Fund

Edward Balls: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to table 2.3 of his autumn statement 
	(1)  what (a) assumptions and (b) methodologies underlie the £50 million saving shown for the Get Britain Building investment fund in 2014-15;
	(2)  what (a) assumptions and (b) methodologies underlie the profile of the costings shown for the Get Britain Building investment fund in (i) 2012-13, (ii) 2013-14 and (iii) 2014-15.

Danny Alexander: holding answer 20 December 2011
	The Get Britain Building investment fund will support building firms in unlocking the finance needed to get builders back to work. The programme will operate by making direct investments in specific projects through loans or taking equity stakes.
	It is anticipated that the fund will invest £260 million and £160 million in England in 2012-13 and 2013-14 respectively. Taking funding for the devolved Administrations into account, the investments in 2012-13 and 2013-14 will be £310 million and £190 million respectively. The time profile reflects the anticipated build programmes of supported projects.
	Funding has been made available by the Government for this programme on the basis that it yields a return. It is forecast that £5 million and £50 million of receipts will be generated by these investments in 2013-14 and 2014-15 respectively.

Corporation Tax: Scotland

John Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the monetary value was of receipts to the Exchequer from corporation tax from the transport sector in Scotland in each year since 2001.

David Gauke: The information is available only at disproportionate cost as HMRC does not hold details of corporation tax receipts data relating to specific sectors of economic activity at a country or regional level.

Debts: Business

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions (a) he and (b) officials in his Department have had with (i) the Bank of England and (ii) other banks on the operation of the market for corporate bonds.

Mark Hoban: The Treasury has regular discussions with the Bank of England and market participants, including banks, on overall financial market conditions and the market for corporate bonds. The Bank of England continues to operate its Asset Purchase Facility Corporate Bond Scheme to help facilitate the operation of the secondary market for corporate bonds. The latest information on this scheme can be found on the Bank of England's website at:
	http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/markets/apf/corporatebond/index.htm
	More information on the Bank of England's Asset Purchase Facility can be found on its website, including the latest quarterly report here:
	http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/publications/other/markets/apf/quarterlyreport.htm

Debts: Business

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether (a) he and (b) officials in his Department have had discussions with the Bank of England on the (i) underwriting and (ii) guaranteeing of business debt.

Mark Hoban: Both the Chancellor of the Exchequer and HM Treasury officials meet with officials from the Bank of England on a regular basis to discuss a range of issues.

EU Budget: Contributions

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the percentage change has been in the size of (a) the overall EU budget and (b) the UK's contribution to the EU budget in each of the last 10 years.

Mark Hoban: Details of EU budgets, including their overall sizes and the UK contributions to them, are published in the annual European Union Finances documents available on HM Treasury's public website
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/int_eu_statefraud.htm

Money Advice Service: Northern Ireland

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how much the Money Advice Service in Northern Ireland spent on advertising in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12 to date;
	(2)  what funding was allocated to the Money Advice Service in Northern Ireland in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and how much will be allocated in 2012-13;
	(3)  how many staff are employed by the Money Advice Service in Northern Ireland;
	(4)  whether there are any plans to reduce staff levels in the Money Advice Service in Northern Ireland;
	(5)  how many cases the Money Advice Service in Northern Ireland has taken on in each year since it was established.

Mark Hoban: The Money Advice Service is an independent body, funded by a levy on the financial services industry. The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is responsible for approving its Business Plan and Budget.
	I have asked the Money Advice Service to respond to the detailed points you have raised in writing. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

National Insurance Contributions

Robert Halfon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of receipts to the Exchequer from the employer element of national insurance contributions; and what proportion of the overall tax-take this represents in each financial year from 2000 to 2010.

David Gauke: Employer's national insurance receipts are provided in the following table. The proportion of total tax and NICs receipts this represents is also given in the table.
	
		
			  Employer national insurance contributions (£ billion) Total tax and NICs receipts  (1)   (£ billion) Proportion of total tax and NICs receipts (percentage) 
			 2000-01 35.7 360.4 10 
			 2001-02 36.9 369.7 10 
			 2002-03 37.1 375.6 10 
			 2003-04 41.0 396.8 10 
			 2004-05 44.5 426.5 10 
			 2005-06 49.4 456.8 11 
			 2006-07 50.7 485.8 10 
			 2007-08 58.5 515.9 11 
			 2008-09 55.7 508.0 11 
			 2009-10 54.7 477.8 11 
			 2010-11 55.5 520.1 11 
			 (1) Consistent with supplementary table 2.8 from the Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR)'s Autumn 2011 Economic Fiscal Outlook. Historic figures are consistent with the equivalent table in previous Budget publications produced by the OBR and HMT.

Northern Rock plc

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the first coupon payment on the new convertible debt in the sale of Northern Rock is due to be paid; and what further receipts he expects in each of the next three years.

Mark Hoban: Virgin Money issued to HM Treasury, on completion of the sale on 1 January 2012, Tier 1 Capital Notes with a par value of £150 million and a coupon of 10.5%.
	The Capital Notes are designed to be CRD IV compliant. In order to be compliant, the coupon will have to be conditional. The coupon on the Capital Notes will be conditional in several ways; for example Virgin Money would be unable to pay interest if it had insufficient distributable reserves or if, after payment of such interest, it would not meet its capital resources requirement.
	Interest accrues from the first anniversary of the issue of this debt, and the first interest payment is expected to be made in 2013.

Regional Growth Fund: Taxation

Dave Watts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on taxation of Regional Growth Fund grants.

David Gauke: There are no special tax exemptions for grants. A private sector beneficiary must record a grant as income in their accounts which wilt affect their overall tax position.

Tax Credit

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the number of tax credit claims which are awaiting processing.

David Gauke: holding answer 12 December 2011
	At the close of business on 6 December 2011 there were around 50,000 new tax credit claims to be processed.

Taxation

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate HM Revenue and Customs has made of the amount of underpaid tax in the years up to financial year 2007-08;
	(2)  what his estimate is of the amount which will be repaid to people who were over-taxed in the tax years up to 2007-08.

David Gauke: holding answer 1 December 2011
	Most people within PAYE pay the right amount of tax during the year, but some customers pay either too much or too little.
	HMRC set up the Open Case Programme to tackle the cases relating to 2007-08 and earlier years which were still to be cleared when their new computer system came in. The Programme is on track to complete this work by the end of 2012.
	HMRC estimates that when the Programme is complete repayments worth around £2.8 billion for 2003-04 through to 2007-08 will have been issued and a further £236 million will have been collected.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Education

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the cost of the Enhanced Learning Credits scheme was in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09, (c) 2009-10 and (d) 2010-11;
	(2)  how many service personnel used the Enhanced Learning Credits scheme in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09, (c) 2009-10 and (d) 2010-11;
	(3)  what proportion of course fees has been claimed by service personnel on average through the Enhanced Learning Credits scheme;
	(4)  what the average level has been of the contribution made by the Government towards the cost of course fees undertaken by service personnel through the Enhanced Learning Credits scheme.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence promotes lifelong learning among members of the armed forces and this is encouraged through the Learning Credits schemes. The Enhanced Learning Credit (ELC) scheme is designed to complement the Standard Learning Credits scheme by providing larger scale help to personnel who qualify, with a single payment of £1,000 or £2,000 (dependent upon length of service) in each of a maximum of three separate financial years, to help pay towards the cost of higher-level learning. It remains available for up to 10 years after discharge.
	ELC is not a refund scheme and operates by payment being made direct to a registered training provider. Training by this funding stream is subject to a minimum 20% personal contribution.
	The following table lists the amount paid to registered training providers and the number of service personnel and leavers who have accessed the scheme:
	
		
			 Financial year Total number of claimants Amount paid to registered training providers (£ million) 
			 2007-08 6,500 5.7 
			 2008-09 7,900 10.1 
			 2009-10 7,600 9.8 
			 2010-11 10,400 14.9 
		
	
	The ELC Scheme is administered under contract by G4S who hold all records relating to claims for this type of funding. However, no management information is compiled on the proportion of course fees claimed on average or on the Government's contribution. This could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel suffering from post traumatic stress disorder received specialist treatment from the NHS in the last 12 months.

Andrew Robathan: During the period 1 December 2010 to 30 November 2011, 229 service personnel were admitted to NHS in-patient facilities under the co-ordination of the South Staffordshire and Shropshire NHS Foundation Trust, which has the lead for the provision of mental health in-patient services to service personnel. Of that number, some 20 were diagnosed on admission with post traumatic stress disorder.

Armed Forces: Training

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the relative benefits of live firing training for the armed forces and the use of simulators.

Nick Harvey: The Ministry of Defence continuously and objectively assesses the relative benefits of live fire training and the use of simulation, some areas of assessment being more mature than others.
	Simulation is increasingly used for training purposes by all three armed services. However, they all acknowledge that simulation cannot fully replicate the operational environment and that a balance must be struck between simulation and live fire training.

Marines: Rescue Services

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many callouts RMB Chivenor received from each local authority in (a) England and (b) Wales in the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The information is not held in the format requested. All requests for assistance from the emergency services throughout the United Kingdom (police, fire, ambulance and coastguard) are handled by the Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre based at RAF Kinloss. The centre is responsible for tasking and co-ordinating all of the UK's search and rescue helicopter teams.
	The number of callouts tasked to Royal Marine Base Chivenor in each of the last five years is provided in the following table:
	
		
			 Number of callouts 
			  England Wales Maritime  (1) 
			 2006 168 101 24 
			 2007 135 94 27 
			 2008 150 84 27 
			 2009 192 129 18 
			 2010 189 133 17 
			 2011(2) 128 107 10 
			 (1) Maritime incidents are those that occur more than three miles out from the coastline. (2) Up to 31 October 2011.

Yemen

Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 2 November 2011, Official Report, columns 665-6W, on Yemen, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on whether units of the Yemeni security forces trained by the UK have been involved in human rights violations against protesters.

Philip Hammond: I have not had any discussions with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), on this matter.
	While there have been numerous allegations of human rights abuses being committed by elements of the Yemen Security Forces, on both sides of the political divide, we have seen no evidence confirming the involvement of units that have received UK training.

SCOTLAND

Employment

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the effect of the autumn statement on levels of employment in Scotland.

David Mundell: As a result of the Autumn Statement, more than £500 million has been added to the existing Scottish budget by the UK Government which provides the Scottish Government with significant resources in these uncertain times.
	Additional action, such as credit easing, will support small and medium-sized businesses in Scotland to create jobs, and help to build a stronger, more balanced economy.

Green Investment Bank

Michael Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on the likely benefits to Scotland of the green investment bank.

Michael Moore: I have had regular discussions with ministerial colleagues on the potential benefits to Scotland and the rest of the UK of the Green Investment Bank.
	Once the bank is established it will play a vital role in the Government's efforts to develop the low carbon economy in the whole of the UK, including Scotland, and I have no doubt it will act as a significant spur to investment.

Co-operatives

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps (a) his Department and (b) those bodies for which his Department is responsible are taking to mark UN Year of the Co-operative 2012; and if he will make a statement.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office will work closely with Cabinet Office, the Mutuals Taskforce and with Co-operatives UK to develop and take full advantage of opportunities to celebrate the achievements of co-operative organisations during the United Nations International Year of Co-operatives where those steps are compatible with the purposes for which Parliament has voted it supply.

Sovereignty

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what his policy is on whether an in or out referendum on the future of the Union between England and Scotland is held as soon as possible.

David Mundell: It is the Government's clear view that the Scottish Parliament does not have the legal power to legislate for any referendum on independence. That is why the Secretary of State for Scotland, the right hon. Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (Michael Moore), published a consultation to seek views on how to deliver a legal, fair and decisive referendum. I refer my hon. Friend to the statement made by the Secretary of State for Scotland of 10 January 2012,
	Official Report
	, columns 51-72.

TRANSPORT

A31

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate her Department has made of the cost of the (a) delay to and (b) diversion of traffic arising from the closure of local roads leading to the Canford Bottom roundabout on the A31 in spring 2012.

Michael Penning: holding answer 10 January 201 2 
	The cost of the delay to traffic arising from the closure of local roads is estimated at £343,000 per week. This is based on the DFT market value of £11.28 for an average vehicle being delayed per hour.
	The cost arising from the diversion of traffic due to local road closures has been estimated at £245,700 per week. This is based on an average distance per vehicle of six miles at 45p a mile (a figure suggested by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), which includes fuel costs, wear and tear, insurance etc).

A31

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what her estimate is of the additional cost to the public purse of reducing by one week the period of total closure of access from local roads to the Canford Bottom roundabout on the A31; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Penning: holding answer 10 January 201 2 
	The estimate of the additional cost to the public purse of reducing by one week the period of total closure of access from local roads to the Canford Bottom roundabout on the A31 is £360,000.

A31

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the (a) earliest and (b) latest time is (i) on each weekday and (ii) at weekends contractors will be working on the Canford Bottom junction improvement during the period when all other local roads are to be closed.

Michael Penning: holding answer 10 January 2012
	During the proposed programme of side road closures, our contractor will be working continuously from 7.30 am on Mondays day and night until 5.30 pm on Saturdays. On Sundays they will be working from 7.30 am to 5.30 pm.

Coastguard Agency: Finance

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much her Department plans to provide for the annual running costs of (a) the new Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA) operations centre in Fareham and (b) existing MCA centres in the remainder of the comprehensive spending review period.

Michael Penning: holding answer 10 January 2012
	The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) will provide for the running costs of its estate (including the Maritime Operations Centre) within the departmental expenditure limits set out in Department for Transport’s comprehensive spending review. The detail of this is published in the MCA's Business Plan (Section E) which is available on the MCA's website
	www.dft.gov.uk/mca
	and in the Libraries of both Houses.
	In respect of the new Maritime Operations Centre in Fareham the MCA has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG); this is a statement of intent for both sides regarding the transfer of the Fareham site to the MCA.
	This MOU does not stipulate any financial commitments; this is currently subject to ongoing negotiation between the MCA and the DCLG and has yet to be agreed. The Fareham site is an existing government property and therefore the MCA's use of it will be of net benefit to the UK taxpayer.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Databases

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the (a) minimum, (b) maximum and (c) average time taken by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to enter registered keeper details for new vehicles.

Michael Penning: The specific information requested is not recorded. The vast majority of new vehicles are registered through the Automated First Registration and Licensing system (88%), whereby all the information is transferred automatically from the manufacturers system to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's database. This update is instantaneous.
	For those new vehicles that are registered manually via the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's local office network the entire transaction has to be keyed into the system. Although the average time taken to key just the keeper's name and address is 30 seconds, the complete transaction can take just over 17 minutes to complete.

Fuels: Sulphur

Therese Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether she plans to review the adoption of the International Maritime Organisations limit on sulphur content of marine fuels so that the UK is in line with other EU member states.

Michael Penning: The new sulphur limits for marine fuel that were agreed at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) as part of the revision of Annex VI of the MARPOL convention also need to be incorporated into European legislation.
	The UK, along with other European member states, is considering a draft proposal to align EU legislation to the MARPOL standard. Once EU legislation to this effect has been adopted, the Government will take the necessary steps to transpose it into domestic legislation, thereby also implementing the sulphur provisions of the revised MARPOL Annex VI in UK law.

M54: M6

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the case for connecting the M54 with the M6 toll road; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Penning: The statement of 26 October 2010, Official Report, column 177, by the then Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), “Investment in Highways and Local Transport Schemes” identified the M54/M6/M6 Toll Link road scheme as a ‘future scheme’ for potential construction in future spending review periods and as one of four schemes to be reviewed by the Highways Agency.
	In conducting the review the Agency has looked again at the scheme options currently under consideration to ensure these remain the most appropriate. The business case for the scheme has also been revisited to ensure that it is as up to date as possible.
	The Department for Transport is currently considering the allocation of development funding for the ‘future schemes’. This would see investment in a small number of schemes to progress pre-construction work and thereby maintain a pipeline of major investment in the strategic road network. Any announcements will be made in due course.

M6: West Midlands

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will hold discussions with local authorities in the West Midlands on the possibility of extending the M6 toll road.

Michael Penning: My officials regularly engage with authorities in the West Midlands, and would be willing to discuss the possibility of extending the M6 Toll.

Road Signs and Markings

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans her Department has to make greater use of vehicle information signs on motorways and A roads to inform motorists of congestion, accidents and road closures; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Penning: Following the recent Traffic Signs Regulations review, undertaken by the Department for Transport, the Highways Agency now have greater ability to inform drivers about traffic conditions. For example, signs can now be set to;
	Give advance warning of severe weather (up to 24-hours in advance of a forecast event),
	Give multi-modal messages warning of delays to other forms of transport (for example a closure of an airport or major train station).
	Furthermore, the Agency are continually improving their information provision to customers with initiatives such as:
	Improved travel time legends to show the time it takes to travel between two points affected by congestion or delays.
	Legends that can be set to inform drivers when a closed road will re-open.
	Legends to inform drivers that a road has now re-opened.

Roads

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the importance of roads to (a) reducing congestion, (b) increasing road safety and (c) economic growth; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Penning: holding answer 10 January 2012
	The Department collects and publishes a range of official statistics related to traffic and the road network. Most of these statistics are summarised in “Transport Statistics Great Britain”, the Department's main annual statistical compendium publication, the 37th edition of which was published on 15 December 2011. Congestion related information includes changes to average speeds on local authority A roads and percentage of journeys deemed to be on time on the strategic road network.
	The Government published a strategic road safety framework in May 2011, with a focus on high-risk groups in the short term and longer term benefits from technology and safer driving.
	The Government's Growth Review and National Infrastructure Plan, published in November 2011, identifies transport as a key economic infrastructure sector and, through the Autumn Statement, an additional £1 billion of new investment will be used to tackle areas of congestion and improve the national road network.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Co-operatives

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps (a) his Department and (b) those bodies for which his Department is responsible are taking to mark UN Year of the Co-operative 2012; and if he will make a statement.

Owen Paterson: As my Department has no policy responsibility for co-operatives in Northern Ireland—these are devolved matters for the Northern Ireland Executive—we have no opportunity to mark the United Nation International Year of Co-operatives in 2012.

Debt Collection

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many times his Department has used the services of debt recovery companies since May 2010; which companies were used; and if he will make a statement.

Owen Paterson: The Northern Ireland Office has not used the services of debt recovery companies since May 2010.

Departmental Equality

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what equality impact assessments his Department has carried out since May 2010; and for what purpose in each case.

Owen Paterson: The Northern Ireland Office considers equality issues in exercising its functions, to comply with equality legislation and to ensure it understands how its activities will affect different people. In the specified period, the Northern Ireland Office has not undertaken any equality impact assessments.

JUSTICE

Young Offenders: Health Education

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what information is collected from prisoners on their (a) health and (b) education on entry to the secure estate; and whether any other information is collected on entry.

Crispin Blunt: All newly arriving prisoners into prison are screened by a trained nurse or trained officer to assess their health needs and to ensure appropriate treatment. People with a mental health problem, or vulnerable to suicide, are referred for a mental health assessment.
	Prisoners are also screened or assessed for literacy, language and numeracy skills and where a need is identified a referral is made to the establishment's education provider.
	Other recorded details of newly arriving prisoners include the name and contact details of their next of kin or nominated contact, the prisoner's ethnic group, and their religion (including nil religion). Newly arrived prisoners also undergo a cell sharing risk assessment for potential harm from and to others and screening is also carried out to identify any risks of self-harm.
	All prisoners must also be photographed in accordance with the National Security Framework. Features that will aid identification including tattoos, scars, and biometric data must also be recorded.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Departmental Apprentices

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding from the public purse has been allocated to sponsor apprenticeships in each of the public bodies for which his Department is responsible between (a) April 2010 and March 2011, (b) April 2011 and March 2012 and (c) April 2012 and March 2013.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development allocated funding to sponsor apprenticeships as follows:
	April 2010 to March 2011: £20,000
	April 2011 to March 2012: £10,000
	April 2012 to March 2013: Not yet allocated.

Departmental Redundancy Pay

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much redundancy pay was paid to civil servants in his Department in each month between September and November 2011.

Alan Duncan: DFID spent the following amounts on voluntary redundancies between September and November 2011 in line with the terms of the Civil Service Compensation scheme.
	
		
			  £ 
			 September 2011 154,580 
			 October 2011 52,516 
			 November 2011 138,452

Developing Countries: Agriculture

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent on supporting agricultural production in developing countries in each year since 1997.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not measure aggregate spend on support for agricultural production, as a wide range of activities supported by DFID contribute directly and indirectly to agricultural production. However, support for increasing agriculture productivity has been a major focus of DFID’s agricultural research budget which has increased from £35.6 million in 2005-06 to £70 million in 2010-11, DFID's agricultural research budget has funded a wide range of research projects, including crop research by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), a consortium of international agricultural research centres. CGIAR rice and maize breeding is attributed with lifting two million people out of poverty per year in India and 740,000 per year in Africa. DFID has also co-funded GALVmed (Global Alliance for Livestock Veterinary Medicines) to make the vaccine for east coast fever (ECF) more accessible and affordable to livestock keepers. ECF is a tick-transmitted disease that threatens more than 25 million cattle across eastern and southern Africa each year.

Developing Countries: Biofuels

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to address the loss of agricultural land due to biofuel production in developing countries.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) is committed to ensuring biofuel production does not jeopardise food security of poor people in developing countries. We also recognise that biofuel production can play a positive role in promoting access to energy and agricultural development, providing the production systems benefit smallholder farmers and appropriate safeguards on land acquisition are in place.
	Together with other Government Departments, DFID has been successful in ensuring that UK and EC policy takes into account the impact (positive and negative) of biofuels on developing countries. We are currently contributing to the Department for Energy and Climate Change's new bioenergy strategy (to be published later in 2012) to ensure biofuel feedstocks sourced from developing countries do not adversely affect food security, for example by converting land used for food production to biofuel production. It is worth noting that under the Government's renewable transport fuels obligation, which is the principal mechanism for increasing biofuel use, less than 0.1% of UK biofuel has been reported as coming from Africa since the obligation came into force in 2008.

Developing Countries: Business

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to assist the UK's bilateral partner countries to improve the conditions for doing business in their countries; if he will place in the Library examples of UK-funded development programmes that have improved business conditions in developing countries; if he will respond to the recommendations in the 2012 Doing Business Report; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) is committed to making British international development policy more focused on boosting economic growth and wealth creation in developing countries. As part of this effort, 25 DFID country offices are implementing a wide range of business environment reform programmes that will improve the conditions for doing business in those countries. Moreover, DFID is supporting the Investment Climate Facility (ICF) for Africa to work with governments, private sector and other stakeholders in 29 countries across the continent to reduce the time, costs and risks of doing business in those countries; information on these programmes and their results can be found on the ICF website:
	www.icfafrica.org
	The UK Government through DFID, together with several other donors, also provides funding to the World Bank Group's Investment Climate Advisory Services (FIAS), which provides advice and assistance to developing country governments in support of their follow-up reforms to the annual Doing Business reports.
	I will place in the Library a document which gives examples of other UK-funded bilateral and multilateral development programmes which are improving business conditions in developing countries: ‘The Engine of Development, The Private Sector and Prosperity for Poor People’ (DFID, 2011). This report is also available on our website:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Documents/publications1/Private-sector-approach-paper-May2011.pdf
	Although the 2012 Doing Business report does not contain recommendations, DFID welcomes the report and its main findings. In particular, the global country ranking of the ‘ease of doing business’ is an influential way to stimulate reform in the countries where we work.

EDUCATION

Apprentices

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will assess the merits of subsidising wage costs from the public purse for apprentices aged 16 to 18 years.

John Hayes: The Government have announced that we will incentivise small employers who have not been previously engaged in the apprenticeships programme to take on their first young apprentices aged 16-24. Up to 40,000 places will be available.
	Apprenticeships deliver strong value for money, with good progression in employment and continued learning. Small employers, who often do not have human resource departments, or dedicated training budgets, can find it more challenging to take on their first apprentice, providing an incentive payment to support them in doing so will enable them to offer new opportunities to young people.

Children: Disadvantaged

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the Autumn Statement, how many disadvantaged two-year-olds in each (a) region, (b) local authority and (c) parliamentary constituency will receive 15 hours a week free early education and childcare.

Sarah Teather: The Autumn Statement provides that, by 2014, some 260,000 two-year-olds in England will be entitled to free early education.
	The Government have announced that they plan to take a phased approach to the implementation of the new entitlement. The 20% most disadvantaged two-year-olds—around 130,000 children—will become eligible for free places from September 2013. The entitlement will then be extended to around 40% of two-year-olds—some 260,000 children—from September 2014.
	The Government are currently consulting, until 3 February 2012, on the proposal that the first phase will include two-year-olds from families meeting the benefits criteria also used for free school meals, and looked-after children. The following table sets out the number of two-year-olds who would be likely to be eligible by local authority and region in this first phase. Numbers are not available by parliamentary constituency.
	We will make a further announcement in due course about how we plan to determine eligibility for 40% of two-year-olds when the entitlement is extended from September 2014.
	
		
			 Number of families with a child aged two, with an income of £16,190 or less and receiving child tax credit, April 2011 
			  Number (to the nearest 100) 
			 England 136,400 
			   
			 North East 7,900 
			 Darlington 200 
			 Durham 1,700 
			 Gateshead 600 
			 Hartlepool 400 
			 Middlesbrough 600 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 900 
			 North Tyneside 500 
			 Northumberland 600 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 400 
			 South Tyneside 500 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 700 
			 Sunderland 1,000 
			   
			 North West 20,100 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 600 
			 Blackpool 500 
			 Bolton 1,000 
			 Bury 500 
			 Cheshire East 600 
			 Cheshire West and Chester 700 
		
	
	
		
			 Cumbria 900 
			 Halton 500 
			 Knowsley 600 
			 Lancashire 2,700 
			 Liverpool 1,800 
			 Manchester 2,300 
			 Oldham 800 
			 Rochdale 900 
			 Salford 900 
			 Sefton 500 
			 St. Helens 600 
			 Stockport 600 
			 Tameside 700 
			 Trafford 300 
			 Warrington 400 
			 Wigan 800 
			 Wirral 1,000 
			   
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 14,700 
			 Barnsley 800 
			 Bradford 1,900 
			 Calderdale 600 
			 Doncaster 1,000 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 400 
			 Kingston Upon Hull, City of 1,100 
			 Kirklees 1,000 
			 Leeds 2,300 
			 North East Lincolnshire 600 
			 North Lincolnshire 400 
			 North Yorkshire 700 
			 Rotherham 800 
			 Sheffield 1,600 
			 Wakefield 1,000 
			 York 300 
			   
			 East Midlands 10,800 
			 Derby 700 
			 Derbyshire 1,600 
			 Leicester 1,400 
			 Leicestershire 900 
			 Lincolnshire 1,800 
			 Northamptonshire 1,700 
			 Nottingham 1,200 
			 Nottinghamshire 1,500 
			 Rutland — 
			   
			 West Midlands 16,800 
			 Birmingham 4,700 
			 Coventry 900 
			 Dudley 900 
			 Herefordshire 300 
			 Sandwell 1,400 
			 Shropshire 400 
			 Solihull 400 
			 Staffordshire 1,600 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 1,100 
			 Telford and Wrekin 600 
			 Walsall 1,200 
			 Warwickshire 1,000 
			 Wolverhampton 1,100 
			 Worcestershire 1,100 
			   
			 East of England 13,100 
		
	
	
		
			 Bedford borough 500 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,100 
			 Central Bedfordshire 500 
			 Essex 2,700 
			 Hertfordshire 2,200 
			 Luton 700 
			 Norfolk 2,000 
			 Peterborough 700 
			 Southend-on-Sea 600 
			 Suffolk 1,600 
			 Thurrock 600 
			   
			 London 26,300 
			 Barking and Dagenham 1,200 
			 Barnet 800 
			 Bexley 700 
			 Brent 1,000 
			 Bromley. 700 
			 Camden 600 
			 City of London — 
			 Croydon 1,400 
			 Ealing 1,100 
			 Enfield 1,400 
			 Greenwich 1,100 
			 Hackney 1,000 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 500 
			 Haringey 1,000 
			 Harrow 400 
			 Havering 500 
			 Hillingdon 900 
			 Hounslow 900 
			 Islington 800 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 300 
			 Kingston upon Thames 300 
			 Lambeth 1,300 
			 Lewisham 1,100 
			 Merton 500 
			 Newham 1,100 
			 Redbridge 600 
			 Richmond upon Thames 200 
			 Southwark 900 
			 Sutton 500 
			 Tower Hamlets 1,200 
			 Waltham Forest 1,000 
			 Wandsworth 700 
			 Westminster 600 
			   
			 South East 16,800 
			 Bracknell Forest 300 
			 Brighton and Hove 600 
			 Buckinghamshire 700 
			 East Sussex 1,100 
			 Hampshire 2,100 
			 Isle of Wight 300 
			 Kent 3,300 
			 Medway 700 
			 Milton Keynes 800 
			 Oxfordshire 1,000 
			 Portsmouth 600 
			 Reading 400 
			 Slough 500 
			 Southampton 900 
			 Surrey 1,600 
			 West Berkshire 300 
		
	
	
		
			 West Sussex 1,300 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead — 
			 Wokingham 200 
			   
			 South West 10,000 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 200 
			 Bournemouth 400 
			 Bristol, City of 1,200 
			 Cornwall 900 
			 Devon 1,200 
			 Dorset 700 
			 Gloucestershire 800 
			 Isles of Scilly—  
			 North Somerset 400 
			 Plymouth 700 
			 Poole 300 
			 Somerset 900 
			 South Gloucestershire 500 
			 Swindon 600 
			 Torbay 400 
			 Wiltshire 700 
			 Notes: 1. These indicative figures are derived from a sample. Numbers at local authority level are relatively small, so are subject to statistical error. In forecasting eligibility for the two-year-old offer, local authorities may also want to draw on other available information, such as numbers and proportions of school age children known to be eligible for free school meals, and demographic projections. Please note that the table will have no figure where the number of children eligible within a local authority is less than 100. 2. Figures are estimates, subject to statistical error. 95% Confidence intervals for an estimate of 500 children are plus or minus 88 children; for an estimate of 1,000 are plus or minus 124; and for an estimate of 2,000 are plus or minus 175 (for couples with children, lone parents imply a larger confidence interval) 2. No adjustment is made to reflect that some families will have more than one child aged two. 3. Individual LA totals may not sum to regional or England total due to rounding. Source: HMRC http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-stats.htm

Early Intervention Grant

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much each recipient organisation received from the Early Intervention Grant in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12.

Sarah Teather: holding answer 20 December 2012
	The Early Intervention Grant (EIG) is an un-ring-fenced and un-hypothecated grant to local authorities in England which came into effect in April 2011. The grant replaced a number of funding streams to local authorities which ended in March 2011. The allocations for both 2010-11 and 2011-12 are available at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/earlylearningandchildcare/a0070357/early-intervention-grant-frequently-asked-questions/

Email

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether (a) he and (b) his special advisers 
	(1)  sought legal advice as to whether the deletion of private emails concerning Government business sent or received by him or his special advisers constitutes a breach of section 77 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000;
	(2)  have used private email accounts to discuss the possible dismissal of officials in his Department;
	(3)  used private email accounts to discuss (i) the free school application by Katherine Birbalsingh and (ii) any other free school application;
	(4)  used private email accounts to discuss the cancellation of the Building Schools for the Future programme.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 10 January 2012
	The Department seeks legal advice on a wide variety of matters related to its functions, and Ministers and Special Advisers discuss a range of issues using different media. Legal advice is subject to legal professional privilege and the Department does not routinely disclose whether or not it has taken such advice on particular matters. The Information Commissioner published guidance on 15 December 2011 concerning information held in private email accounts. The Cabinet Office is considering this and will issue further guidance to Departments.

GCSE

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of pupils in (a) comprehensive and (b) independent schools achieved five A* to C grades at GCSE (i) in total and (ii) including English and mathematics in (A) 1997 and (B) 2010.

Nick Gibb: The available information is given in the following table.
	
		
			 Percentage of pupils in comprehensive and independent mainstream schools who achieved five or more A* to C grades at GCSE or equivalent in total and including English and Mathematics, 1997 (final)  (1)   and 2010 (revised)  (1, 2) 
			  Comprehensive schools  (3)  ()  (,4) Independent mainstream schools  (4) 
			  5+ A*-C grades 5+ A*-C inc. English and mathematics 5+ A*-C grades 5+ A*-C inc. English and mathematics 
			 1997(5) 41.8 31.3 82.5 77.9 
			 2010(6) 76.7 54.7 87.1 48.0 
			 (1) Including attempts and achievements by these pupils in previous academic years. (2) iGCSEs, accredited as at January 2011, have been counted in 2010 figures as GCSE equivalents and also as English and maths GCSEs. (3) Including City Technology Colleges and Academies. (4) School type as recorded in the Secondary School Performance Tables. (5) Figures for 1997 are based on pupils on roll aged 15 at the beginning of the academic year. (6 )Figures for 2010 are based on pupils at the end of Key Stage 4. Source: Secondary School Performance Tables. 
		
	
	Only accredited iGCSEs are included in these measures for 2010. A large number of pupils in independent schools took unaccredited iGCSEs in mathematics in 2010.
	The 2010 figures given here were published in the Statistical First Release “GCSE and Equivalent Results in England, 2009/10 (Revised)” at the following link
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000985/index.shtml
	The equivalent information for 2011 was published on 20 October 2011 in the Statistical First Release “GCSE and Equivalent Results in England, 2010/11 (Provisional)”. This information can be found in tables 5 and 6 of this publication which is available at the following link
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001034/index.shtml

Pupil Premium: Pendle

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many students have benefited from pupil premium funding in Pendle constituency since April 2011.

Sarah Teather: Pupil premium funding is provided in respect of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children in care who have been continuously looked after for at least six months and children whose parents are serving in the armed forces. In the Pendle constituency in January 2011 there were 2,241 pupils known to be eligible for FSM and 13 service children. The total number of pupils eligible for the pupil premium in the Pendle constituency may be higher, but it is not possible to identify the number of pupils in each parliamentary constituency recorded as being in care or recorded in the alternative provision census as, in both cases, the returns are provided at local authority level rather than at establishment level.

CABINET OFFICE

Charities: VAT

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will extend eligibility for the VAT refund scheme to charities who deliver public services under a contract with a public sector organisation.

David Gauke: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Treasury.
	There are no plans to provide VAT refunds to charities delivering public services under a contract with a public sector organisation.
	In many cases, EU VAT rules mean that it would not be necessary or possible to provide a refund scheme to any contracted provider of public services. The provision of any services under a contract, by a charity or a business, will normally be regarded as a business activity and thus within the scope of VAT. Therefore, if the services provided are taxable (in other words, they are not specifically exempted from VAT) the provider will be able to recover their VAT costs through the normal VAT system.
	However, if the services provided are VAT exempt, any form of VAT refund is prohibited under EU VAT law. Where a provider does incur irrecoverable VAT in the provision of public services, these costs should be taken into account by the contracting public sector organisation when agreeing funding.

Cybercrime: Crime Prevention

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what (a) cyber and (b) physical steps he is taking to protect UK businesses and individual internet users from cyber infrastructure attacks.

Francis Maude: The Government takes the threat of cyber attacks very seriously which is why we have allocated additional funding of £650 million over four years to respond effectively to threats from cyberspace through the National Cyber Security programme.
	The Government have a wide ranging set of measures in place to protect businesses and individuals from cyber attacks and our new national Cyber Security-Strategy published in November:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/cyber-security-strategy
	sets out our plans for how we will improve the UK's cyber security and build confidence by creating a more secure and resilient cyberspace.
	The Government also supports Get Safe Online, a joint government/industry initiative to raise awareness of internet security and educate and empower people and firms to protect themselves online.

EU Law

John Mann: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many of the regulations his Department brought into force through (a) primary legislation, (b) secondary legislation and (c) other means originated from proposals by the European Commission in (i) 2010 and (ii) 2011.

Francis Maude: In 2010 and 2011, the Cabinet Office did not bring into force any regulations, by any means, originating from proposals by the European Commission.

Third Sector

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office on how many occasions the ministerial group on the Big Society has met; what subjects were on its agenda at each meeting; and on what dates these meetings took place.

Nick Hurd: The informal ministerial group on Big Society and Localism has met three times on the following dates, considering the following agenda items:
	21 July 2010:
	The Big Society vision
	Role of the adviser on Big Society
	The compact
	28 October 2010:
	Locally integrated services
	Spending review and voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations
	Big Society vanguard areas
	16 March 2011:
	Community budgets and locally integrated services
	Community capability
	Strategic communications

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Co-operatives

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps (a) his Department and (b) those bodies for which his Department is responsible are taking to mark UN Year of the Co-operative 2012; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: Departments will work closely with Cabinet Office, the Mutuals Taskforce and with Cooperatives UK to develop and take full advantage of opportunities to celebrate the achievements of co-operative organisations during the United Nations International Year of Co-operatives.
	Specifically, DECC is working to support local communities to develop co-op structures for ownership of renewable energy infrastructure locally through our “Community Energy On-Line” website.
	We have also just launched a programme for community energy called LEAF (Local Energy Assessment Fund) which is open to cooperatives and encourages communities to look at renewable energy options.
	The Mutuals Taskforce has recently indicated it will play a co-ordinating role for Departments to support the International Year of Co-operatives, with Cooperatives UK leading the Taskforce's work in this area.

Departmental Apprentices

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many apprentices were employed by his Department between (a) April 2010 and March 2011 and (b) April and December 2011; and how many apprenticeships he plans that his Department will sponsor between (i) January and March 2012 and (ii) April and March 2013.

Gregory Barker: Between April 2010 to March 2011 DECC had 14 staff undertaking an apprenticeship programme.
	Between April and December 2011 DECC had one new apprenticeship start (with the above continuing).
	All future apprenticeships will be based on suitable vacancies arising within the Department.

Energy Efficiency Deployment Office: Public Appointments

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to appoint a (a) chair and (b) director to administer the Energy Efficiency Deployment Office.

Gregory Barker: As soon as possible.

Energy: Prices

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effect on energy bills of (a) the Green Deal, (b) feed-in tariffs, (c) Contract for Difference and (d) other subsidies offered by his Department.

Charles Hendry: On 23 November 2011, alongside the annual energy statement, DECC published an assessment of the impact of climate change and energy polices on energy prices and bills for an average household, medium-sized business user and large energy intensive user in 2011, 2020 and 2030, available online at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/meeting_energy/aes/impacts/impacts.aspx
	The headline results are presented in table 1. A breakdown of the separate gas and electricity bill impacts by individual policies is presented in the set of tables in annex F (from page 67) of the aforementioned document.
	
		
			 Table 1: Estimated impact of energy and climate change policies on average energy (gas plus electricity) bills compared with bills in the absence of policies 
			 Real 2010 prices 2011 2020 2030 
			 Household    
			 Bill without policies £1,229 £1,379 £1,474 
			 Bill with policies £1,249 £1,285 £1,427 
			 Impact of policies £19 (2%) -£94 (-7%) -£46 (-3%) 
			 Of which:    
			 Green Deal and ECO(1, 2) n/a £42 -£20 
			 Small-scale feed-in tariffs £1 £6 £6 
			 EMR (CfDs and capacity payments) n/a £41 £50 
			 Other policies £18 -£183 -£82 
			     
			 Medium-sized business user    
			 Bill without policies £1,550,000 £1,738,000 £1,829,000 
			 Bill with policies £1,821,000 £2,073,000 £2,337,000 
			 Impact of policies £271,000 (18%) £335,000 (19%) £508,000 (28%) 
			 Of which:    
			 Green Deal(2) n/a -£16,000 -£16,000 
			 Small-scale feed-in tariffs £3,000 £15,000 £14,000 
			 EMR (CfDs and capacity payments) n/a £96,000 £117,000 
			 Other policies £268,000 £240,000 £394,000 
			     
			 Large energy intensive industrial user    
			 Bill without policies £8.2 to £15.6 million £9.3 to £17.4 million £9.7 to £18.0 million 
			 Bill with policies £8.4 to £17.5 million £9.4 to £20.9 million £10.8 to £24.1 million 
			 Impact of policies £0.3 to £1.9 million (3% to 12%) £0.2 to £3.5 million (2% to 20%) £1.1 to £6.1 million (11% to 34%) 
			 Of which:    
			 Green Deal(2) n/a n/a n/a 
			 Small-scale feed-in tariffs £0 to £30,000 £0 to £138,000 £0 to £124,000 
		
	
	
		
			 EMR (CfDs and capacity payments) n/a £0 to £870,000 £0 to £1.1 million 
			 Other policies £0.3 to £1.9 million £0.2 to £2.5 million £1.1 to £4.9 million 
			 (1) Due to the overlap between the Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation (ECO) in the household sector, the impact of each of the two policies individually cannot be isolated. (2) Estimates of the Green Deal impact are net of the average annual loan repayment. Note: Figures may not add due to rounding. Source: DECC 2012.

Horizon Nuclear Power

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the implications for (a) security of supply and (b) competition in the energy marketplace of the sale of equity shares by the Horizon Nuclear Power joint venture.

Charles Hendry: Horizon Nuclear Power remains a 50:50 joint venture between E.ON UK and RWE npower.
	Horizon and its shareholders have been clear that they remain committed to the UK, and are continuing to develop their plans for around 6 GW of new nuclear capacity, starting with around 3 GW on their lead-site at Wylfa, Anglesey.
	It is the Government’s policy to make the UK energy sector more attractive to new investors and any issues of market competition would be dealt with by the competition authorities.

Power Failures

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many households have power supply voltage optimisation devices.

Gregory Barker: We do not have records for how many households have voltage optimisation devices. These devices are eligible measures for suppliers to promote in meeting their household Carbon Emissions Reduction Target to December 2012, though no schemes have been delivered as yet.

Solar Power

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 6 December 2011, Official Report, column 216W, on solar power, whether his Department has any plans to (a) undertake or (b) commission research on the effects of installing solar PV on household energy use.

Gregory Barker: DECC is currently considering what further evidence may be needed in relation to the effects of installing microgeneration technologies on household energy use.

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will estimate the average number of feed-in tariff solar PV installations that were completed between (a) April 2010 and October 2011 and (b) 31 October and 12 December 2011.

Gregory Barker: The latest monthly published statistics show that between April 2010 and October 2011, the number of solar PV installations (of sub 50 kW capacity) on the Microgeneration Certificate Scheme database (MCS) was 127,474. Of these, 70% (89,297) have been confirmed on Ofgem's Central FiT Register (CFR).
	In addition, there were 3,534 solar PV confirmed installations on the CFR but not registered on the MCS database at the end of December 2011. Of these, 316 installations were confirmed after 31 October 2011. These installations are not registered on the MCS database because the installation capacity is greater than 50 kW, so are additional to the MCS numbers.
	The number of solar PV installations registered on the MCS database between 31 October 2011 and 12 December 2011 was 102,183.

Warm Front Scheme

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 15 November 2011, Official Report, column 798W, on Warm Front Scheme: St Helens, for how many parliamentary constituencies his Department holds data on the number of households that have received assistance under the Warm Front Scheme in each of the last five years.

Gregory Barker: Carillion Energy Services hold, on DECC's behalf, data on the number of households that have received Warm Front assistance in each parliamentary constituency.

Wind Power

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to visit the proposed site of the Brechfa Forest West wind farm.

Charles Hendry: I have no current plans to visit the proposed site for this wind farm. This application is currently under examination by the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC). I will be making a decision on this application once the IPC has made its recommendation and therefore it would not be appropriate for me to comment further on this application.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Arms Trade

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what (a) bi-lateral and (b) multi-lateral meetings (i) he and (ii) his officials have had with their international counterparts to discuss the agreement of a robust arms trade treaty in preparation for the final Preparatory Committee in February 2012.

Mark Prisk: Officials from this Department have regularly formed part of cross-Whitehall teams in support of Foreign and Commonwealth Office outreach with a range of international counterparts on the arms trade treaty (ATT). These discussions have covered a broad range of issues and have been used to gain support for HMG policy objectives on the ATT and to gain an understanding of the concerns of other countries.

Arms Trade

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what contribution his Department is making to developing policy on the inclusion of import, export, re-export, transit, transhipment, brokering activities and the gifting, loan or lease of arms within the terms of the arms trade treaty.

Mark Prisk: Officials from this Department have been, and continue to be, actively engaged in supporting the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on all aspects of arms trade treaty policy development and strategy that are within the responsibilities of this Department.

Arms Trade

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many of his Department's officials at each grade are working on the arms trade treaty negotiations; whether there has been any change in the personnel leading on this matter; and whether he expects any further changes to be made before July 2012.

Mark Prisk: A number of the senior staff of the Export Control Organisation in this Department (SCS Band 1, Grade 7) spend a proportion of their time contributing to the UK team negotiating the arms trade treaty. I expect that the total level of resource dedicated to this activity will increase between now and July 2012.

Business

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the steps the banks that signed up to the Merlin Agreement have taken to encourage increased demand for finance from small and medium-sized enterprises.

Mark Prisk: It is absolutely vital that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have the confidence to seek the finance they need to thrive and grow. Through the British Bankers' Association, the Merlin banks have set up the Better Business Finance Taskforce, which in October 2010 made a number of commitments to repair their relationships with small business customers and encourage demand, including a regional outreach programme.
	The Merlin banks have taken a range of steps to increase take-up of finance by small and medium-sized businesses, for example:
	Lloyds TSB made new commitments for 2012 in their SME Charter in November 2011;
	Barclays organised free lending clinics for SMEs throughout October and November 2011;
	RBS launched a fixed rate product with no fees for SME customers;
	HSBC have launched products with discounted interest rates for businesses which export or employ; and
	Santander have announced a “breakthrough” programme with a £200 million fund aimed at high growth potential firms.
	The Government are also working with the banks and other stakeholders to increase SMEs confidence and capability in accessing finance through a Finance Fitness campaign, which will be putting more and better advice and resources in the hands of small businesses next year.
	We have also announced the launch of a National Loan Guarantee Scheme which will aim to support £20 billion worth of lending to small businesses over the next two years.

Business: Loans

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent representations he has received on the steps taken by the banks that signed up to the Merlin Agreement to initiate pre re-financing dialogues with customers 12 months before term loans end.

Mark Prisk: The Merlin banks committed to initiating a pre-refinancing dialogue 12 months' ahead of any term loan coming to an end as part of the British Bankers' Association Taskforce in October 2010. These dialogues would include a timely review of business and refinancing needs and an assessment of what needs to be in place ahead of loan expiry to maximise the prospect of successful refinancing.
	BIS Ministers are in regular discussion with the banks on this and the other commitments of the British Bankers' Association Taskforce. General banking issues are regularly discussed in the quarterly Small Business Economic Forum, which I chair, and features representatives from a wide range of business groups and the Merlin banks.

Business: Loans

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent representations he has received on the steps taken by the banks that signed up to the Merlin Agreement to give more weight to the expectations, capacity and willingness to lend to small and medium-sized enterprises in the performance metrics of the chief executives and business area leaders.

Mark Prisk: The main representations received on the Merlin Agreement concern the need for banks to provide finance on appropriate terms to the viable businesses that need it. The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), has made clear his view that the remuneration of the Merlin banks' chief executives and relevant senior managers should reflect the bank's performance in lending to small and medium enterprises, and the Merlin banks have publicly committed to this.

Business: Loans

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the progress of delivery using the 17 commitments made by the British Bankers' Association Business Finance Taskforce based on the results of the continuous monitoring his Department has committed to undertake; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: As the Chancellor of the Exchequer said in the 29 November 2011 Autumn Statement, Official  Report, columns 799-810, the Government welcome the progress the banks have made in delivering their commitments, as well as their intention to continue to take these initiatives forward in future. In particular, the Government welcome the British Bankers' Association's intention to work with community development finance institutions (CDFIs) to put in place a system to refer unsuccessful loan applicants to CDFIs.

Business: Regulation

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the press release issued by the Regulatory Policy Committee on 25 July 2011, whether the net cost figures published in the Second Statement of New Regulation were independently assessed.

Mark Prisk: I can confirm that the net cost figures in the Second Statement of New Regulation were independently assessed by the Regulatory Policy Committee. Any exceptions are highlighted in the statement published by the relevant Department.

Business: Regulation

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of progress by his Department in implementing the objective in the coalition agreement to reduce the burden of administration by introducing a ‘One-in, One-out’ rule for regulation.

Mark Prisk: The second Statement of New Regulation, published in September 2011, reports on the first year of application of the ‘One-in, One-out’ rule to new domestic regulation:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/policies/bre/better-regulation-framework/one-in-one-out/statement
	Copies of the statement have been deposited in both Libraries of the House,
	The statement shows that the Government's ‘One-in, One-out’ rule has resulted in an overall reduction in the net cost to business and civil society organisations. Information on costs is provided both by Department and as a total for Government.

Business: Regulation

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the Second Statement of New Regulation which departments did not (a) pass any deregulatory measures and (b) achieve a net fall in the cost to businesses in 2011.

Mark Prisk: The second Statement of New Regulation:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/policies/bre/better-regulation-framework/one-in-one-out/statement
	published in September 2011, provides a forecast of deregulatory measures (or 'OUTs') for 2011. The statement shows the volume (i.e. number of measures) and net annual regulatory cost to business for each department.
	Copies of the statement have been deposited in both Libraries of the House.
	An update on the final position will be provided in the new statement.

Business: Regulation

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on which date a final impact assessment was (a) received and (b) validated by the Regulatory Policy Committee for each regulatory change announced in the Second Statement of New Regulation.

Mark Prisk: The following table shows the regulatory changes announced in the Second Statement of New Regulation and, for each measure, the dates the final impact assessment was received and the Regulatory Policy Committee's Opinion was issued.
	
		
			 IA No. Title Date final IA received Date opinion issued 
			 BIS0172 The Insolvency (Amendment) Regulations 2011 25 March 2011 9 May 2011 
			 BIS0083 Weights and Measures (Specified Quantities) (Unwrapped Bread and Intoxicating Liquor) Order 2011 5 January 2011 1 February 2011 
			 BIS0283 Public Policy Exclusion Order (Complex Weapons) (Revocation) 2011 27 June 2011 5 July 2011 
			 BIS0027 Special Administration Regime of the Postal Services Act 2011 5 August 2011 19 August 2011 
			 BIS0135 The Patents County Court (Financial Limits) (No.2) Order 2011 10 January 2011 1 February 2011 
			 BIS0303 The Overseas Companies (Execution of Documents and Registration of Charges) Regulations 2011 18 May 2011 8 June 2011 
			 BIS0146, BIS0093, BIS0288 The Scheme for Construction Contracts (England and Wales) Regulations 1998 (Amendment)(England) Regulations 2011, The Construction Contracts (England) Exclusion Order 2011, The Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 (Commencement No.2)(England) Order 2011 16 May 2011 10 June 2011 
			 BIS0073 Amendment to the Patents Act to provide for Online Patent File Inspection Order 2011 21 June 2011 5 July 2011 
			 BIS0181 Companies Act 2006 (Annual Returns) Regulations 2011 12 March2011 12 April 2011 
			 BIS0292 The Companies (Disclosure of Auditor Remuneration and Liability Limitation Agreements) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 26 July 2011 1 August 2011 
			 DCLG0032 The Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2011 4 May 2011 16 May 2011 
			 DCLG5004 The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Amendment) (England) Order 2011 3 March 2011 13 April 2011 
			 DCLG5001 The Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (Amendment) (England) Order 2011 10 March 2011 12 April 2011 
		
	
	
		
			 DCLG0024 The Infrastructure Planning (Changes to, and Revocation of, Development, Consent Orders) Regulations 2011 29 July 2011 8 August 2011 
			 DCLG0036 Building (Amendment) Regulations 2011 15 April 2011 5 May 2011 
			 CO1006,7,8 The Charities Act 2006 (Changes in Exempt Charities) Order 2011 26 July 2011 4 August 2011 
			 DCMS10 The Media Ownership (Radio and Cross media) order 2010 22 October 2010 9 November 2010 
			 DCMS007 Gambling Act 2005: Category B3 Gaming Machine 9 May 2011 17 May 2011 
			 DECC0030 EU Third package - licence modification appeals 22 June 2011 13 July 2011 
			 DECC0056 Extending Compulsory Purchase Powers to change of use of pipelines to C02 transport 4 March2011 22 March2011 
			 DECC0019 Third Party access to upstream petroleum infrastructure 5 July 2011 5 August 2011 
			 DECC0011 Repeal of 18 Exemption Orders for low risk use of radioactive substances 1 April 2011 19 April 2011 
			 DECC0048 Raising the threshold for energy supplier participation in social and environmental programmes 28 March 2011 18 April 2011 
			 DECC0020 Introduction of a Special Administration Regime 24 June 2011 2 August 2011 
			 DEFRA1145 Flood and Water Management Act (2010) Implementation of sections 38 and 39 Incidental Flooding. 28 July 2011 10 August 2011 
			 DEFRA1261 Flood and Water Management Act (2010) Implementation of Section 7 (6) on cooperation and sharing information. 24 February 2011 21 March 2011 
			 DEFRA1147 The Water Industry (Schemes for Adoption of Private Sewers) Regulations 2011. 7 March 2011 21 March 2011 
			 DEFRA1082 Amendments to Schedules 5 and 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 8 August 2011 17 August 2011 
			 DEFRA1199 Flood and Water Management Act (2010) Implementation of Section 27(2) guidance on sustainable development duty. 11 May 2011 3 June 2011 
			 DEFRA1133 Simplification of the contaminated land regime. 13 September 2011 20 September 2011 
			 DEFRA1055 Amendment of Pigs (Records, Identification and Movement) Order 2007 14 July 2011 3 August 2011 
			 DEFRA1071 The Water Supply (Amendment to the Threshold Requirement) Regulations 2011 17 June 2011 28 June 2011 
			 DEFRA1306 The Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2011. n/a (1)— 
			 DEFRA0185 The Environmental Protection (Controls on Ozone-Depleting Substances) Regulations 2011 10 May 2011 20 May 2011 
			 DEFRA0168 Cattle Identification (Amendment) Regulation. n/a (1)— 
			 DfT00084 The Equality Act 2010 - Application of Part 5 to Seafarers 15 March 2011 28 March 2011 
			 DfT00004 M25 Motorway Junctions 2 to 3 (Variable Speed Limits) Regulations 2011 13 July 2011 12 August 2011 
			 DfT00046 The Vehicle Drivers (Certificates of Professional Competence) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 13 July 2011 2 August 2011 
			 DfT00107 Revocations of the explosive provision in Classification and Labelling of Explosive Regulations 1983 8 June 2011 21 June 2011 
			 DH0662 Prohibition on the sale of tobacco from vending machines 10 August 2011 20 September 2011 
			 DH3007 To include the medical exposure of self-referred asymptomatic individuals within the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2000 (IRMER) 7 March 2011 30 March 2011 
			 DH5059 Recognition of pharmacist qualifications awarded in the European Economic Area and Switzerland: removing the “Three-year rule” from new pharmacies 9 May 2011 27 May 2011 
			 DWP0011 Occupational Pensions Schemes (Employer Debt and Miscellaneous Amendment) Regulations 2011 5 September 2011 15 September 2011 
			 FOOD0092 Earned Recognition in the Dairy Sector (England and Wales) 10 August 2011 23 August 2011 
			 HMT1102C The Financial Services and Markets Act (FSMA) 2000 (Carrying on Regulated Activities by Way of Business)(Amendment) Order-regulation of sale and rent back agreements 11 July 2011 20 July 2011 
			 HMT0021 Introducing a protected cell regime for UK open ended investment companies 2 August 2011 25 August 2011 
			 HMT1137 Early implementation measures of Amending Directive 2003/71/EC on the prospectus to be published when securities are offered to the public or admitted to trading 17 June 2011 5 July 2011 
			 HMT1106 Legislative Reform Order on mutuals 10 February 2011 4 March 2011 
			 HMT1102D The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Exemption)(Amendment) Order- Northern Ireland housing associations 11 July 2011 20 July 2011 
			 N/A Civil Partnerships on Religious Premises 9 August 2011 15 August 2011 
			 N/A Specification for Firearms n/a (2)— 
			 MoJ 0008 Implementation of the Legal Services Act 2007 23 July 2011 3 August 2011 
			 (1) These measures were included in SNR2 but were departmental estimates based on consultation stage impact assessment. Final figure subject to approval by Regulatory Policy Committee in due course, on basis of final stage impact assessments. (2) Due to the negligible cost of this measure, an impact assessment was not been deemed necessary. The measure was included in Home Office SNR2 for consistency with the previous Statement of New Regulation.

Business: Regulation

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the moratorium on new domestic regulation for micro-businesses and start-ups was applied to all (a) regulatory measures and (b) deregulatory measures announced in the Second Statement of New Regulation.

Mark Prisk: The guidance on the micro-business moratorium,
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/better-regulation/docs/g/11-1198-guidance-moratorium-on-new-domestic-regulation.pdf
	was applied to each measure in the Statement of New Regulation
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/better-regulation/docs/o/11-p96b-one-in-one-out-second-statement-new-regulation.pdf

Business: Regulation

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department plans to conduct a review of the moratorium on new domestic regulation for micro-businesses and start-ups in order to ensure that the moratorium is being applied correctly in accordance with the relevant guidance; and if so when he plans to publish such a review.

Mark Prisk: The Government have no plans to conduct a review of the moratorium on new domestic regulation for micro-businesses and start-ups at the present time.

Cluster Munitions

Charles Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he last met representatives of (a) banks and (b) other financial institutions to discuss direct or indirect investment in the manufacture of cluster bombs; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), has had no discussions with representative of banks or other financial institutions about direct or indirect investment in the manufacture of cluster bombs.

Council for Science and Technology

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding the Council for Science and Technology (CST) (a) received in 2010-11 and (b) will receive in 2011-12; what estimate he has made of the number of full-time equivalent staff working for the CST in each year; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: £47,000 was spent on the activities of the Council for Science and Technology (CST) in 2010-11. The budget for 2011-12 is £50,000. No staff work directly for the CST which is an advisory non-departmental public body. The staff in the CST Secretariat are employed by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Three full-time equivalent staff worked in the CST Secretariat in both 2010-11 and 2011-12.

Departmental Equality

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what equality impact assessments his Department has carried out since May 2010; and for what purpose in each case.

Edward Davey: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills considers equality issues in exercising its functions, to comply with equality legislation and to ensure it understands how its activities will affect different people. It provides information about this consideration in various ways. In the specified period, this information was sometimes published in the form of an equality impact assessment, although there has never been a legal requirement to produce such a document.
	We have published seven such documents during the period. These are available on the Department's website.

Departmental Manpower

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people were working in his Department on (a) 11 May 2010 and (b) 8 December 2011.

Edward Davey: The following table shows number of staff employed by BIS on 11 May 2010 and 8 December 2011. To note these figures are based on staff on payroll.
	
		
			 Date Headcount total Including UKTI Headcount total excluding UKTI 
			 11 May 2010 3,607 3,054 
			 8 December 2011 2,996 2,448

Departmental Recruitment

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department spent on recruitment agencies in each month since September 2011.

Edward Davey: In each month since September 2011, the Department has paid (on a cash basis rather than a resource accounting basis) the following amounts to recruitment agencies:
	
		
			 2011 £ 
			 September 253,555 
			 October 242,178 
			 November 420,292

Departmental Redundancy Pay

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much redundancy pay was paid to civil servants in his Department in each month between September and November 2011.

Edward Davey: The Department paid in total £4,413,545.51 in respect of redundancy costs between September and November 2011. The monthly costs are shown in the following table.
	
		
			 2011 £ 
			 September 1,630,077.45 
			 October 867,911.45 
			 November 1,915,556.61

Departmental Temporary Employment

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many temporary staff were recruited to his Department between September and November 2011.

Edward Davey: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills recruited seven temporary staff in the period between September and November 2011.

Foreign Investment in UK

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department has taken to 
	(1)  improve the UK's ranking in the World Bank's 2012 Doing Business Report; and what steps his Department has taken to address the findings of previous Doing Business reports;
	(2)  (a) strengthen courts, the insolvency regime and other legal institutions and (b) increase the legal protection of investors and property rights in order to make it easier to do business in the UK; and what steps his Department plans to take on such matters;
	(3)  facilitate access for businesses to fee schedules, documentation requirements, information relating to commercial cases and insolvency proceedings and other such regulatory information;
	(4)  (a) strengthen governance, (b) encourage business development and (c) improve operations to enhance the overall investment climate in the UK.

Mark Prisk: The Government are committed to creating the right conditions for businesses to succeed, removing barriers that are preventing them from performing to their full potential. It is welcome that the World Bank puts the UK in the top 10 places to do business in the world.
	The Government's growth review is bringing an ambitious and relentless focus, across the lifetime of the Parliament, to the role Government can play to enable the right conditions for businesses to thrive and achieve strong, sustainable and balanced growth. The plan for growth and the autumn statement set out a wide-ranging package of more than 280 measures to build a stronger and more balanced economy. The growth review's packages of more than 280 measures include, among others, specific activity on corporate governance, regulation, access to finance, competition and trade and investment. These measures are currently being implemented—by the autumn statement significant milestones had been reached on more than 90% of the actions announced at the Budget.
	More specifically:
	In its report, the World Bank specifically highlights our wide-ranging work on deregulation as a good example to follow (particularly the One In, One Out programme controlling the flow of new regulations and the Red Tape Challenge thematically reviewing the stock of existing regulations sector by sector).
	It is now possible to form a UK company online with no reduction in creditor or investor protection.
	Over 95% of companies now file at least one document electronically and over 92% of companies file their accounts on time. The public register is updated with this information within 24 hours. This information is then available via the web in real time.
	UK company law has been substantially overhauled. The Corporate Governance Code for listed companies and Stewardship Code for investors are developed and maintained by the Financial Reporting Council.
	The UK has a robust independent court system. Key judgments are widely reported and available on the internet.
	The insolvency regime is subject to ongoing monitoring and review. We have recently consulted on plans to increase transparency in 'pre-pack' administrations, the regulation of Insolvency Practitioners and the application process for bankruptcy and winding-up of companies. More generally the insolvency regime has been recently tested in the deepest recession for generations and most commentators have agreed that it did its job very effectively in extremely difficult circumstances.
	We will shortly be bringing forward for parliamentary approval proposals to make it easier for companies to use their assets to raise finance.
	We are ensuring that businesses can access the finance they need to grow their business through measures such as the Enterprise Finance Guarantee and the new National Loan Guarantee Scheme, which will provide up to £200 billion of guarantees for bank funding over the next two years allowing banks to offer lower cost lending to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs.) We have also transformed the way we enable people to receive the advice and information they need to grow their business; including a new Growth and Improvement Service on
	www.businesslink.gov.uk
	and a mentoring portal
	www.mentorsme.co.uk
	bringing together existing networks of mentors in the voluntary and private sectors. We will also shortly be launching a new Business Coaching for Growth service, providing high quality business coaching support for SMEs with high growth potential.

Foresight

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding from his Department Foresight (a) received in 2010-11 and (b) will receive in 2011-12; what estimate he has made of the number of full-time equivalent staff working for Foresight in each year; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: Foresight is part of the Government Office for Science, which is a semi-autonomous unit housed within BIS and funded from the BIS vote. The Foresight Programme helps Government make decisions today which are robust to future uncertainties. The estimated number of staff working for Foresight in 2010/11 was 31 and for 2011/12, it is 28. The total funding for staff and to fund the programme of activity in 2010/11 was £3.66 million, and is expected to be £3.74 million in 2011/12.

Green Investment Bank

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects the Green Investment Bank to receive state aid clearance.

Mark Prisk: It is difficult to be precise about the timetable for the European Commission to reach a decision on the UK state aid notification relating to the Green Investment Bank. If the Commission opens a full investigation, a decision could take up to 18 months. We are, however, optimistic about the prospects for a relatively early decision and for planning purposes are preparing on the basis that this could be obtained during 2012.

Hearing Impairment

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to improve access to its programmes and services for people with hearing impairment.

Edward Davey: The Department is not itself undertaking specific activity to improve access to its programmes and services for people with hearing impairment. However, we fund the further education and skills, and higher education sectors to support disabled students.
	We provide funding to both Disability Rights UK and the Equality Challenge Unit, independent organisations which alongside providing advice and guidance to higher education institutions and further education providers also help raise awareness about a range of equality issues in the sector.
	Higher education institutions and further education colleges have duties under the Equality Act 2010 to support disabled students, including students with hearing impairment, when applying to higher and further education and when studying. The law establishes a framework of responsibility which higher education institutions and further education colleges must comply with and also promotes an anticipatory and proactive approach to supporting disabled students. Institutions are required to make reasonable adjustments for disabled students to ensure that they can fully participate in their education and enjoy the other benefits, facilities and services which are provided for students.
	“Investing in Skills for Sustainable Growth” (published November 2010) recognises the importance of access to further education and skills training for people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. We have introduced a single adult skills budget from the 2011/12 academic year. This provides further education colleges and other training organisations with the flexibility to offer a range and balance of programmes and support in the mode of delivery that will best meet the needs of disabled students and students with learning difficulties. Funding for additional learning support is also provided to colleges and other training organisations to help support the additional needs of disadvantaged learners to enable them to participate fully in learning. The funding is intended to be flexible and support learners who have a range of learning difficulties and/or disabilities.
	The Government also provide support to disabled students in higher education. We provide funding to HE institutions, through the Higher Education Funding Council for England, to help them recruit and support disabled students; £13m will be provided in academic year 2011/12.
	The Government also provide direct support to disabled students through Disabled Students' Allowances (DSAs). DSAs can help pay the extra costs a student may incur, because of a disability, when undertaking a course of higher education. DSAs are provided in addition to the standard student support package, are not income-assessed and do not have to be repaid.

High Street Review

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the Portas review, if he will meet the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to discuss the parking strategies of local authorities.

Edward Davey: Ministers meet regularly to discuss a range of issues. In respect of the Mary Portas review the Prime Minister has asked the Minister for Housing and Local Government, the right hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps), to lead on responding to the report and the town centres agenda.

Higher Education: Admissions

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department plans to allocate to the Widening Participation Premium in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15.

David Willetts: holding answer 10 January 2012
	The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) is responsible for determining the level of funding made available through the Widening Participation Allocation. Ministers wrote to HEFCE in June 2011 outlining our initial priorities for teaching funding for 2012/13 which included the funding the Council provides to support widening participation and retention. HEFCE consulted, over the summer, on how this and our other funding priorities might best be delivered. We will confirm our priorities for teaching funding for 2012/13 in our grant letter to the Council, to be published shortly.
	In June, we also asked HEFCE to consult on the operation of the teaching grant for 2013/14 and beyond. HEFCE will launch this consultation, early next year. We will confirm our priorities for teaching funding in future years, in the usual way, in the grant letter for the year in question.

Higher Education: Admissions

Steve Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department plans to consult on any proposed changes to the widening participation premium.

David Willetts: The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) is responsible for determining the level of funding made available through the widening participation premium. In June, we asked HEFCE to consult on the operation of the teaching grant for 2013/14 and beyond. HEFCE will launch this consultation, early next year.
	We will confirm our priorities for teaching funding for 2012/13 in our grant letter to HEFCE, to be published shortly.

Higher Education: Applications

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the effects of recent trends in UCAS applications for 2012 admission on implementation of the Government's social mobility strategy.

David Willetts: UCAS have not yet published any information on the social background of applicants for 2012 entry. They have stated that year-on-year changes for all courses at this early stage in the application cycle are often different from the position later in the cycle, and that it is too early in the cycle to extrapolate volumes forward.

Higher Education: Applications

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people applied for courses through UCAS in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10, (c) 2010-11 and (d) 2011 to date by (i) region and (ii) socio-economic group.

David Willetts: The latest information is in the following table and has been provided by the Universities and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS).
	Figures for 2009, 2010 and 2011 are final end of cycle figures. Figures for 2012 are the latest published figures which show the position as at 19 December 2011. UCAS have not yet released any figures for 2012 showing applicants by social background.
	
		
			 UK domiciled applicants to UCAS by region of domicile and social background 
			  2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 Region of domicile     
			 East Midlands 35,088 38,123 37,925 18,730 
			 Eastern 46,222 50,007 50,392 25,821 
			 Greater London 88,721 96,693 99,668 44,066 
			 North East 19,891 21,658 22,030 10,103 
			 North West 64,644 68,965 68,767 34,976 
			 Northern Ireland 17,864 19,682 20,242 10,480 
			 Scotland 40,053 46,347 46,015 14,617 
			 South East 71,964 78,255 77,684 41,700 
			 South West 43,710 46,142 46,069 22,880 
			 Wales 24,947 24,908 24,974 12,701 
			 West Midlands 48,443 51,171 50,514 26,027 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 42,476 44,848 45,069 21,579 
			 UK unspecified 262 22 1 0 
			 Total 544,285 586,821 589,350 283,680 
			      
			 Social background     
			 Disadvantaged(1) 169,183 185,933 187,427 n/a 
			 Other 366,531 393,616 393,105 n/a 
			 Not known 8,571 7,272 8,818 n/a 
			 Total 544,285 586,821 589,350 n/a 
			 n/a = not available (1) Derived from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE)'s POLAR2 measure: http://www.hefce.ac.uk/widen/fund/ HEFCE uses two different groupings of areas to define disadvantage: one based on the participation rates of young (19 and under) people in HE (which is used by HEFCE when looking at young full-time entrants); and one based on the proportion of adults who hold HE qualifications (which is used by HEFCE when looking at part-time and mature full-time entrants). Because this table includes applicants of all ages, the HE qualified adults measure has been used. For the purposes of their funding allocations HEFCE treat entrants from the most disadvantaged 40% of neighbourhoods as ‘disadvantaged’, using quintiles 1 and 2 of the POLAR2 measure.

Higher Education: Standards

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he plans to take to ensure and maintain the quality of institutions with degree-awarding powers under his proposals to increase flexibility in the higher education sector.

David Willetts: As part of the proposals set out in the Higher Education White Paper published in June and the subsequent technical consultation, all institutions with English degree awarding powers will be required, as now, to satisfy a quality threshold administered by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. This assures and will continue to assure the quality of an English degree.

Insolvency

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) businesses and (b) retailers (i) were liquidated and (ii) went into administration in each month in each of the last five years.

Edward Davey: Official statistics on corporate insolvencies by industry sector are not compiled monthly. The latest headline quarterly statistics, including an industry breakdown for liquidations and administrations may be found here:
	http://www.insolvencydirect.bis.gov.uk/otherinformation/statistics/201111/index.htm#tables
	While the total figures in these tables cover the last 10 years, the industry breakdowns only run from Q3 2007; the available industry breakdowns up to Q3 2006 (which were on a different basis) are available here:
	http://www.insolvencydirect.bis.gov.uk/otherinformation/statistics/historicdata/HDmenu.htm

Japan Tobacco International: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Peter Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether any (a) Ministers and (b) special advisers in his Department have received hospitality from Japan Tobacco International since May 2010.

Edward Davey: Information about hospitality received by Ministers and special advisers is published quarterly by Departments. Information for the period 13 May 2010-30 June 2011 can be accessed on departmental websites. Information for 1 July onwards will be published in due course.

Members: Correspondence

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when the Minister for Business and Enterprise plans to respond to the letters from the hon. Member for Weaver Vale of 20 September and 15 November 2011, on behalf of Mr Stevan Cross.

Edward Davey: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has no record of the letter of 20 September 2011, however the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable) responded to the letter of 15 November 2011 on 21 December 2011.

Met Office: Pay

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much has been paid in bonuses to staff employed at the Met Office in each of the last five years.

Edward Davey: In line with civil service reward principles, Met Office staff are eligible to receive performance related pay based on achievements against specific targets agreed and monitored by the Met Office Board, which are linked to the success of the Met Office at either individual, team or organisational level. Payments are non-consolidated and represent part of Met Office staff remuneration which is at risk and needs to be re-earned each year.
	The following table details the amount paid in performance related pay to staff employed at the Met Office in each of the last five years.
	
		
			  Total paid in non-consolidated, performance related awards (£000) 
			 2010-11 3,368 
			 2009-10 2,593 
			 2008-09 2,720 
			 2007-08 2,734 
		
	
	
		
			 2006-07 2,491 
		
	
	The average award paid to staff in 2010-11 was £1,809.

Nuclear Power Stations

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to (a) encourage increased competition in the nuclear industry supply chain and (b) ensure that British firms are well-placed to win work in the awarding of contracts to build new nuclear power stations; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: The Government believes that there is considerable potential for the UK civil nuclear industry from the domestic and global market and is working with companies to enable the right environment for these opportunities to be realised. At the heart of the Government's strategy is the development of a healthy and vibrant supply chain in the UK able to compete and win business in a highly competitive global environment.
	The Government provides support through a number of routes, including:
	The Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (Nuclear-AMRC) which, with the National Nuclear Laboratory, helps manufacturers get to market, develop their capability and competitiveness and thereby enable a globally competitive advantage to be gained.
	A new Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative, announced in December 2011 with flexible support to improve the global competitiveness of existing supply chains and encourage development of new suppliers in the UK. This will be a competitive fund and the nuclear industry can apply for support through this initiative.
	Support for the Nuclear Industry Association's supply chain initiative, SC@Nuclear, in order to assist the provision of market information to firms to help them make investment decisions.
	Establishment of the Nuclear Energy Skills Alliance which brings together the relevant skills academies, sector skills councils, industrial training boards and others to ensure the right delivery of skills provision overall.

Nuclear Power: Skilled Workers

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to support small and medium-sized enterprises that wish to invest in the nuclear power supply chain to acquire the necessary skills and equipment; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: The Government believe that there is considerable potential for the UK civil nuclear industry from the domestic and global market and is working with them to enable the right environment for these opportunities to be realised.
	At the heart of the Government's support is the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (Nuclear-AMRC) which, with the National Nuclear Laboratory and the National Skills Academy for Nuclear, helps manufacturers get to market, develop their capability and competitiveness and thereby enable British companies to gain a globally competitive advantage. In addition the new Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative announced in December 2011 will provide flexible support to improve the global competitiveness of existing supply chains and encourage the development of new suppliers, in the UK. This will be a competitive fund and the nuclear industry can apply for support through this initiative. This initiative is supported by additional funding routes that businesses can use to apply for specific investments such as the Regional Growth Fund.
	The Government also support the Nuclear Industry Association's supply chain initiative, SC@ Nuclear, in order to assist the provision of market information to firms to help them make investment decisions, and UKTI in partnership with the Nuclear Industry Association is working with industry to help promotion of UK goods and services.
	Near-market Research and Development projects are supported through the Technology Strategy Board and the Research Councils provide support for longer-term nuclear research.
	Delivery of skills for the industry is coordinated through the Nuclear Energy Skills Alliance (NESA) and, for manufacturers, the National Skills Academy for Nuclear (NSA-Nuclear) has been expanded to incorporate the Sector Skills Council for Science, Engineering, and Manufacturing technologies (SEMTA) and the Nuclear-AMRC. NSA-Nuclear takes the overall lead in working with industry to help them acquire the skills they need to maintain and grow their operations.

Public Houses

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has visited any (a) pubs and (b) breweries in an official capacity as a guest of (i) the British Beer and Pub Association and (ii) any other group acting on behalf of the licensed trade, pub companies or brewing industry since May 2010.

Edward Davey: I have not visited any pubs or brewers in an official capacity as a guest of either the British Beer and Pub Association or any other group acting on behalf of the licensed trade, pub companies or brewing industry since May 2010.

Retail Trade

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department has taken to encourage large retailers to support and mentor local businesses and independent retailers.

Mark Prisk: Businesses tell us that they prefer to receive advice and support from other experienced business people. That is why we are working alongside the private sector to strengthen and expand the mentoring network and stimulate the demand for mentoring in all sectors.
	In July, we joined forces with the British Bankers Association (BBA) to launch the new mentoring portal, mentorsme.co.uk, which makes it easier for businesses to find the right mentoring organisation for their needs. Then in November, we launched “Get Mentoring”, which will see 15,000 new volunteer business mentors from the small, medium and micro business community, recruited and trained via the Small Firms Enterprise Development Initiative (SFEDI) by September 2012.
	Our evidence tells us that one of the top sources of information and advice for small business owners is their customers and suppliers. Skillsmart Retail (the sector skills council) have been developing a small and medium-sized enterprise mentoring scheme which is being rolled out across the National Skills Academy for retail's network of skills shops. Also, the Association of Conveience Stores have set up a mentoring scheme aimed at independent convenience retailers.
	We are working with corporate business to explore how we can mobilise the enthusiasm and expertise of leaders and experienced senior staff in corporate organisations in order to support local business through corporate mentoring programmes.
	I strongly believe that this process should be demand-led and led by business. Ultimately it is for the small firm to decide what sort of expertise will benefit them most.
	Large retailers supporting and mentoring local businesses and independent retailers was one of Mary Portas' recommendations in her Government commissioned “Review of the High Street” which was published on 13 December 2011. Government Departments are working closely together to consider the recommendations made by Mary Portas and will respond in detail in the spring on how we can take forward measures to support our local high streets.

Royal Bank of Scotland

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the Financial Service Authority on whether RBS was in compliance with Section 386 of the Companies Act 2006 between 2001 and 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: BIS officials are considering the Financial Service Authority's report into the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and taking advice on what, if any, enforcement action or further investigation is appropriate.

Royal Mail: Pay

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions his Department has had with the Royal Mail on its chair's remuneration, bonuses, benefits and pension payments; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: The remuneration of the Royal Mail chair was set at the time of his appointment in March 2009 and has remained unchanged. There have therefore, been no recent discussions with Royal Mail's Remuneration Committee about his remuneration.
	The chair receives a base salary but does not receive benefits, bonuses or pension payments.

Students: Fees and Charges

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what consideration he has given to changing the tuition fee threshold which allows institutions to bid for additional places under the core and margin model.

David Willetts: The higher education White Paper ‘Students at the Heart of the System’, published in June, outlined proposals to bring flexibility to the current system of student number controls in higher education institutions (HEIs) in England. The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) included these new proposals in their summer consultation on the operation of teaching funding and student number controls in 2012-13. The consultation outcomes informed a bidding process that was announced by HEFCE on 17 October 2011. This invited higher education and further education institutions whose average fees, net of fee waivers, is less than £7,500, to bid for student places from a contestable ‘margin’ of up to 20,000 places for 2012/13. HEFCE have received bids from 203 hundred institutions for places.
	HEFCE will closely monitor the impact of these changes and offer formal advice to Ministers as soon as is practicable. HEFCE will also consult on how this approach might be extended, in their forthcoming consultation on teaching funding for 2013/14 and beyond.

Third Sector: Russia

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 1 December 2011, Official Report, column 1122W, on third sector, how much assistance to the Russian Federation cost in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; for what purpose it was provided; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: The UK Space Agency, whose funding is included as part of the Knowledge and Innovation Group within the Department, contributes around £220 million annually to the European Space Agency (ESA). It is not possible to calculate the level of assistance received by or from individual countries under ESA programmes.
	The answer to the previous question from the hon. Member on funding for charities and third sector bodies should have read:
	Knowledge and Innovation Group was formed at the end of 2010 after allocations for 2010-11 had been made. Most of the group's total budget reaches charities which are higher education institutions or students who attend them. We generally allocate funding to partner organisations which take independent decisions on funding for individual bodies. The following table sets out the available information requested for bodies which are directly funded by the group rather than those whose funding depends on the decisions of independent partner organisations.
	
		
			 Direct grant support over £100,000 
			 2011/12 £000 
			 Total national academies 87,465 
			 Royal Society 47,830 
			 British Academy 27,001 
			 Royal Academy of Engineering 12,634 
			   
			 Other support for science  
			 Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Network (STEMNET) 6,300 
			 British Science Association 1,530 
			 Engineering UK/Big Bang Education CIC (The Big Bang Fair) 350 
		
	
	
		
			 UK Resource Centre for Women in SET (UKRC) 500 
			  8,680 
			   
			 Other  
			 Design Council 5,312 
			 Natural England 365 
			 UK Council for International Students 300 
			 Tate Britain 291 
			 The British Council 285 
			 European University Institute 229 
			 College of Europe 213 
			 Royal Anniversary Trust 167 
			 Raleigh International Trust 167 
			 Association of Commonwealth Universities 117 
			 National Foundation for Education 115 
			 Royal Botanic Kew Gardens 111 
			  7,555 
		
	
	The Russian Federation has not received nor is scheduled to receive any funding from Knowledge and Innovation Group other than indirectly through the ESA programme.
	I am sorry for any confusion the previous answer may have caused.

UK Space Agency

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding the UK Space Agency (a) received in 2010-11 and (b) will receive in 2011-12; what estimate he has made of the number of full-time equivalent staff working for the UK Space Agency in each year; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: The UK Space Agency was established as an Executive agency on 1 April 2011. Before this, space spend was spread across a number of Government organisations, and hence no agency budget existed.
	Funding for the year 2011-12 is £229 million, further details are shown in the published "Department of Business Innovation and Skills, Allocation of Science and Research Funding" brochure
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/science/docs/a/10-1356-allocation-of-science-and-research-funding-2011-2015.pdf
	which is available from the Libraries of the House. The current number of full-time equivalent staff for the agency is 37.

Work Experience

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the proportion of people undertaking (a) paid and (b) unpaid internships that (i) are and (ii) are not graduates.

David Willetts: I refer the right hon. Member for Salford and Eccles to the answer I gave on 5 December 2011, Official Report, column 174W.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Adders: Conservation

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of trends in the number of adders in the UK.

Richard Benyon: Natural England, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Countryside Council for Wales are supporting the work of Amphibian and Reptile Conservation and local amphibian and reptile groups to assess adder populations. Early results of a national reptile survey show that adders were recorded in only 7% of the sample plots studied. If the final report confirms a worrying decline in this species the three agencies will build on existing work with partner organisations and volunteers to enhance strategies to address it.

Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency: West Midlands

Chris White: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to improve (a) communication and (b) response times between the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency and farmers in the West Midlands.

James Paice: In late 2011, the West Midlands Animal Health Office experienced some problems with a new national computer system which affected the efficiency of their communications with farmers.
	Many of these problems have now been resolved, more staff have been moved into the TB and communications teams and additional training and support has been provided. As a result of this, farmers should already be seeing an improvement in communications from the West Midlands office.
	During February and March 2012, field, laboratory and administration staff from the East Midlands and West Midlands offices and the regional laboratories will be brought together under a single management team to make full use of all available resources across the Midlands region to focus on improving service to customers.
	Regular meetings are being held with the Regional National Farmers Union and other industry bodies to explore how they and the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency can work better together to improve communications and working relationships even more.
	If farmers have any concerns about the time taken to respond to them individually, they are encouraged to contact the Regional Operations Director through their local office.

Animal Welfare: Circuses

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how she plans to implement the proposed licensing scheme to prevent circuses from using wild animals if they do not provide appropriate welfare standards.

James Paice: The licensing scheme will be implemented by regulations under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. We will consult publicly on our proposals early in 2012.

Animal Welfare: Circuses

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she plans to bring forward proposals under Section 12 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to ban the use of wild animals in circuses.

James Paice: We will be bringing forward regulations to license the use of performing wild animals in travelling circuses. We will consult on our proposals early in 2012.

Animal Welfare: Circuses

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent estimate she has made of the number of wild animals bred in UK circuses; and what her policy is on whether a licensing system will prevent circuses from (a) adding new animals to their collection and (b) breeding from existing animals.

James Paice: No new estimate has been made since the one published in the impact assessment in December 2009, but we believe the figure to be in the same region, i.e. below 40. The licensing system will focus on assuring the welfare of all wild animals in circuses. We think it unlikely that the introduction of the demanding new licensing regime we envisage will encourage any significant increase to the numbers of wild animals in circuses, either by being bought in or bred.

Animal Welfare: Circuses

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when (a) she and (b) officials from her Department have met with animal welfare organisations to discuss the planned consultation on the licensing of wild animals in circuses.

James Paice: DEFRA Ministers have not met with animal welfare organisations to discuss circuses since announcing on 13 May 2011 our intention to develop a new licensing system. However, since that date, officials have met with a number of animal welfare organisations, including RSPCA, Born Free, Animal Defenders International, Performing Animals Welfare Standards International, Captive Animals Protection Society, and the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Animal Welfare: Circuses

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she plans to take to ensure that the introduction of a licensing system does not increase the number of wild animals used in circuses.

James Paice: We think it unlikely that the introduction of a demanding licensing regime will encourage any significant increase to the numbers of wild animals in circuses.

Animal Welfare: Circuses

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brighton, Pavilion, of 8 November 2011, Official Report, column 221W, on animal welfare: circuses, what arrangements she plans to make for (a) parliamentarians and (b) members of the public to evaluate the potential of a licensing system for wild animals in circuses in circumstances where the details of confidential circus inspections are not released.

James Paice: DEFRA will carry out a public consultation early in 2012 to allow any interested parties to evaluate our proposed licensing scheme for wild animals in travelling circuses. The regulations will also be subject to the usual parliamentary scrutiny procedure for statutory instruments.

Animal Welfare: Circuses

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 12 December 2011, Official Report, column 464W, on animal welfare: circuses, if she will provide details of the circumstances which the Government considered in reaching its view that confidentiality should be respected.

James Paice: The Government considered: (i) the public interest in disclosing the information; (ii) the fact that the information was obtained by DEFRA from the circuses on the understanding that it would be treated confidentially and disclosure to the public would therefore constitute a breach of confidence; (iii) the fact that disclosure of the information could endanger the physical or mental health, or the safety, of any individual in the context of reports of threats received; (iv) DEFRA’s plans to consult early in 2012 on the detail of regulations that do not depend on informal inspections that went into an initial feasibility study, the findings of which are in any case in the public domain.

Animal Welfare: Circuses

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 12 December 2011, Official Report, column 465W, on animal welfare: circuses, which animal welfare organisations have (a) agreed and (b) refused to advise her Department on the proposed licensing system; what reasons were given for such acceptances or refusals; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: As part of a recent round of meetings with stakeholders, ADI, Born Free, BVA, CAPS, HSI and the RSPCA were invited to discuss our licensing proposals but all declined the invitation.
	My noble Friend, Lord Taylor of Holbeach plans to discuss the welfare of wild animals in circuses with animal welfare groups at their request.

Animals: Imports

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from which countries live (a) cats and (b) dogs are imported into the UK; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: Live cats and dogs can be imported from any country as long as the movement conditions meet the required entry rules under the Pet Travel Scheme or Rabies Importation Order.
	The vast majority of pets entering the UK under the Pet Travel Scheme belong to UK residents returning from trips abroad with their animals. Information on the locations these animals return to the UK from is not recorded.
	The following list gives the main locations from which non-UK residents import cats and dogs into the UK:
	France
	Spain
	Germany
	Netherlands
	Belgium
	Poland
	Italy
	Cyprus
	USA
	Australia
	South Africa
	Turkey
	Canada
	United Arab Emirates.

Animals: Imports

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of live (a) cats and (b) dogs which have been illegally imported into the UK in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: All live dogs and cats are checked before entry into the UK to ensure they meet the requirements of the Pet Travel scheme. There is always the potential for illegal entry of pets through smuggling and other methods and strict action is taken in those cases, but these are considered to be minimal due to our robust checking procedures.
	Information on prosecutions taken under the Rabies Order 1974 between 2007 and 2010 is listed in the following table. Information is not yet available for 2011.
	
		
			  Prosecutions 
			 2010 1 
			 2009 14 
			 2008 4 
			 2007 6

Animals: Imports

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many live (a) cats and (b) dogs have been (i) imported into and (ii) exported from the UK in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: The following tables provide information on the number of live cats and dogs imported into and exported from the UK in the past five years.
	Export figures are only available for cats and dogs travelling outside of the EU as they must do so under a third country certificate which is issued in the UK. Cats and dogs travelling to other EU countries may do so freely under a pet passport and these movements are not monitored within the UK.
	
		
			 Live cats imported into the UK 
			  Number 
			 2007 11,550 
			 2008 13,423 
			 2009 8,251 
		
	
	
		
			 2010 9,502 
			 20111 8,544 
			 (1) 1 January to 30 November 2011 
		
	
	
		
			 Live dogs imported into the UK 
			  Number 
			 2007 9,4444 
			 2008 10,7042 
			 2009 9,1862 
			 2010 8,7008 
			 2011(1) 8,1142 
			 (1) 1 January to 30 November 2011 
		
	
	
		
			 Live cats and dogs exported from the UK under third country certificate 
			  Number 
			 2007 9,491 
			 2008 8,102 
			 2009 7,951 
			 2010 7,918 
			 2011 8,542

Biodiversity: Finance

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage the change in the funding of the Species Recovery Programme is in 2011-12; if she will make it her policy to work with Natural England to restore its funding; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: It is for Natural England to decide how to deploy its available grant in aid to best support its objectives. Natural England reduced the funding of its Species Recovery Programme by 54% in 2011-12 but is working with its partner organisations to reprioritise, in order to maintain, and in some cases increase, funding for specific high priority species recovery projects.

Biofuels

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (a) how much was spent on subsidy to UK producers of crops used for biofuel production and (b) how many tonnes of UK-grown crops have been used for biofuel production in each of the last 10 years.

James Paice: The EU's aid for energy crops, which ran for the period 2004-09, made payments to farmers growing crops for energy purposes. The scheme was a Pillar 1 measure and paid a flat rate of €45/ha for both annual and perennial energy crops. A total of over €20 million was paid out under this scheme in the UK. Further information is available at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/statistics/files/defra-stats-foodfarm-landuselivestock-nonfoodcrops-latestrelease.pdf
	Currently, land under which UK crops are grown for biofuels may be eligible for Single Payment scheme and other CAP payment schemes, but these payments are not specific to whether the end use is fuel, food or other purposes. The only payments currently offered specifically for energy crops are those for miscanthus and short rotation coppice under the Energy Crops scheme. These crops are used for generating heat and electricity and are not currently used to produce liquid biofuels on a commercial scale. The Energy Crops scheme is a scheme administered by Natural England that offers grants to farmers in England for establishing miscanthus and short rotation coppice for their own energy use or to supply power stations. The scheme is split between the Energy Crops scheme (ECS) 1 (2000-06) and ECS 2 (2007-13). Payments made under ECS 1 amounted to £7,672,454. Payments under ECS 2 amounted to £838,755 as of 8 April 2011, but this figure may be subject to change. These figures and further information can be found on the Natural England website at:
	http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/farming/funding/ecs/
	We have limited data on the end-use of UK-grown crops. Figures reported under the renewable transport fuels obligation (RTFO) show that in 2008-09, 753 thousand tonnes of UK-grown oilseed rape, sugar beet and wheat were used to produce UK liquid biofuels. We do not hold data on the amount of UK-grown crops that were converted to other forms of energy (such as biogas), exported and used for biofuels production abroad. Data from the RTFO is available on the DFT website at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/topics/sustainable/biofuels/rtfo/
	DEFRA is aware that there are limited data available on biofuels and are considering ways of improving our biofuels statistics in the near future.

Butterfly Conservation: Finance

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has had any discussions with Natural England on the effect on species recovery work of funding reductions to the charity Butterfly Conservation; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: Ministers have had no specific discussions with Natural England on the effects on species recovery work of reducing grant support to Butterfly Conservation. It is for Natural England to decide how it deploys its available grant in aid to best support its objectives.
	Natural England, however, continues to have discussions with Butterfly Conservation over the work needed to achieve the outcomes in the Government’s new Biodiversity 2020 Strategy and has increased funding to it in 2011-12 by £100,000 for high priority projects.

Circuses

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to allow public access to circus inspection reports.

James Paice: A number of inspections of animals in travelling circuses have been conducted by DEFRA-appointed inspectors or vets in the past decade. However, no central record is kept of such inspections, nor of any reports which might have been written as a result of an inspection. The three inspections carried out for DEFRA in 2008 as part of a feasibility study to evaluate the potential of an inspection system for such circuses were conducted on a confidential basis, and as a consequence we will not release these reports.
	The proposed new circus animal licensing scheme will put inspections of travelling circuses with wild animal acts on a formal, statutory, footing. The new scheme will ensure that we have a record of all the licensing inspections carried out at these circuses. We will also want to consider what information about, and from, the inspections should be made available publicly to ensure that the scheme is as transparent as possible.

Cocoa: EU External Trade

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will place in the Library a copy of her Department's response to the British Standards Institution's recent consultation on its position for the European Committee for Standardisation vote on establishing a new European traceable and sustainable cocoa standard.

James Paice: The new European standard for sustainable and traceable cocoa is being developed by the independent industry standards body for the industry itself to comply with. DEFRA did not respond to the British Standards Institution's consultation as we believe it was for industry, producer countries and civil society to respond to.

Common Agricultural Policy

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of the UK's contribution to the EU budget was accounted for by the common agricultural policy in each year since 2005 in (a) cash and (b) percentage terms.

James Paice: The UK contributes to the EU budget as a whole and not to individual spending programmes within it and there is not, therefore, a specific UK contribution to common agricultural policy expenditure. Details of the UK's contributions to the EU budget for the period 2005-06 to 2010-11 are set out in Table 3B, page 16, of European Union Finances 2011 (Cm 8232).
	
		
			 £ million 
			  2005 Outturn 2006 Outturn 2007 Outturn 2008 Outturn 2009 Outturn 2010 Outturn 2011 Estimated Outturn  (1) 
			 Gross Payments(2) 12,483 12,426 12,456 12,653 14,129 15,197 15,289 
			 Less: UK Abatement -3,572 -3,569 -3,523 -4,862 -5,392 -3,047 -3,141 
			 Less: Public sector receipts -5,329 -4,948 -4,332 -4,497 -4,401 -4,769 -4,776 
			 Net contributions to EU budget(3) 3,581 3,909 4,601 3,294 4,336 7,381 7,372 
			 (1) The figures for 2011 are forecasts; those for earlier years are outturn. (2) Gross payment figures include TOR payments at 75%. The remaining 25% is retained by the UK to cover the costs of administering collection on behalf of the EU. (3) Due to rounding, totals may not exactly correspond to the sum of individual items. Source: HM Treasury 
		
	
	In 2005 expenditure on the CAP represented 46.2% of the EU budget. By 2011 this had declined to 43.7%.
	Sources:
	1. European Union Finances 2011
	http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/cm82/8232/8232.pdf
	2. Financial Management in the European Union (2007)
	http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/hc0607/hc04/0401/0401.asp

Common Fisheries Policy

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many active fishing fleets were registered in the UK in each year since 2001.

Richard Benyon: The UK fishing fleet plays an important role in providing food, jobs, wealth and social benefits, particularly in some coastal communities. Prior to 2006 the details of activity by vessels of 10 metres and under in England and Wales were often recorded as part of grouped data for landings and effort. As such the activity of individual vessels is not available for this time frame and has lead to the apparent low levels of active vessel data before 2006. With the introduction of the requirement for buyers and sellers of first sale fish to be registered, more accurate data started to be captured against the individual vessels involved, therefore providing details oh the activity of these vessels. This can be found in the following table, split between number of registered vessels, and those considered to be active.
	
		
			  Number of vessels registered as at 1 January Of which active during preceding year 
			 UK Fleet at 1 January 2001, active in 2000 7790 3152 
			 UK Fleet at 1 January 2002, active in 2001 7623 3165 
			 UK Fleet at 1 January 2003, active in 2002 7362 3069 
			 UK Fleet at 1 January 2004, active in 2003 7289 2912 
			 UK Fleet at 1 January 2005, active in 2004 7075 3007 
			 UK Fleet at 1 January 2006, active in 2005 6994 3002 
			 UK Fleet at 1 January 2007, active in 2006 6724 4442 
			 UK Fleet at 1 January 2008, active in 2007 6742 4735 
			 UK Fleet at 1 January 2009, active in 2008 6749 4797 
			 UK Fleet at 1 January 2010, active in 2009 6568 4573 
			 UK Fleet at 1 January 2011, active in 2010 6472 4634

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people were convicted of offences governed by the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora in the UK in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Richard Benyon: The number of persons found guilty at all courts of offences under the Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997 in England and Wales from 2006-10 (latest available) is shown in the following table.
	Annual court proceedings data for 2011 is planned for publication in spring 2012.
	
		
			 Number of persons found guilty at all courts for offences related to endangered species trafficking, England and Wales, 2006-10  (1, 2) 
			 Statute 2006 2007 2008  (3) 2009 2010 
			 Offences under the Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997 9 3 3 3 4 
			 (1) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008.

Dairy Farming

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the conclusions of the Committee on Climate Change's Fourth Carbon Budget report and the Government Office for Science's Foresight report on Global Farming Futures on the effects of reduced consumption of meat and dairy products, what steps the Government is taking to (a) define and (b) promote a sustainable diet.

James Paice: I do not believe that Government should tell people what to eat. Our role is two-fold in providing a solid evidence base firstly to give consumers consistent messages on the information they need to be able to make informed choices for themselves; and secondly to support industry and NGOs in their work towards encouraging sustainable consumption and avoiding food waste.
	DEFRA is working with industry to reduce the impact of the meat and dairy sectors throughout the lifecycle of its products, to ensure the environmental footprint of the meat and milk we consume is as low as possible, while continuing to maintain its nutritional quality.

Dangerous Dogs

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to 
	(1)  repeal breed specific legislation in relation to dangerous dogs;
	(2)  extend the provisions of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 to cover private property.

James Paice: Having consulted the police service and carefully considered all the other available evidence, I do not consider that there is a strong case for repealing the existing ban on the ownership of certain types of dogs.
	However, my noble Friend Lord Taylor, who leads on the subject of dangerous dogs in DEFRA, has been working alongside Lord Henley to see how the proposed antisocial measures, currently being developed in the Home Office, can be best applied to such behaviour relating to dogs. DEFRA has also been developing proposals on reducing dog attacks and promoting more responsible dog ownership. This is now at an advanced stage and we expect to be able to make an announcement early in the new year.

Departmental Assets

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assets with a value of £250,000 or more her Department has bought since May 2010; for what purpose; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: Detailed as follows are assets purchased and added to the Fixed Asset Register from May 2010 onwards—please note construction in progress has not been included.
	
		
			 Assets Value (£) Purpose 
			 Fit out costs Ergon House 613,682 Furniture and fittings 
			 Fit out costs—Ty Merlin Carmarthen 471,477 Furniture and fittings 
			 Biomass Boiler 285,956 Plant and machinery 
			 Sharepoint Remediation Project (Phase 1) 398,897 Internally generated software 
			 Whole Farm Approach Software system—R7/8 663,281 Internally generated software 
			 Oracle Business Suite Licences 311,014 Purchased software 
			 Total—Core Department 2,744,307  
			    
			 Flow Cytometer Cell Sorter 351,239 Scientific equipment 
			 Electron Microscope 339,689 Scientific equipment 
			 Total—The Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency 690,928  
			    
			 Rural Land Register Strategic Systems Upgrade 3,478,000 Internally generated software 
			 Total—The Rural Payments Agency 3,478,000  
		
	
	
		
			 Total for the Department 6,913,235  
		
	
	DEFRA's other Executive Agencies reported no assets meeting this criterion.

Departmental Catering

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department spent on food purchased through its food and catering services in the last 12 month period for which figures are available.

James Paice: Food purchased through DEFRA's food and catering services is incorporated within a hospitality account code and is not recorded separately. DEFRA does not receive any separate invoicing from our caterers which identifies ‘food’ specifically. To extract this information would incur disproportionate cost.

Departmental Chief Scientific Advisers

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what the resource budget allocation was for the office of her Department's chief scientific adviser in each of the last five years for which figures are available;
	(2)  what the salary, including benefits, was of her Department's chief scientific adviser in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and how many individuals have held the post in the last five years;
	(3)  how many full-time equivalent staff were employed in the office of her Department's chief scientific adviser in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and on what date the office was established.

Richard Benyon: Resource budget allocation figures for the office of the chief scientific adviser are only available for the last three years, and these are given in the following table. Earlier figures are unavailable as a result of internal restructuring.
	
		
			  £ 
			 2009-10 282,000 
			 2010-11 274,000 
			 2011-12 209,000 
		
	
	These figures cover pay costs and standard non-pay allocation.
	Details of the salary, including benefits, payable to the Department's chief scientific adviser as set out in DEFRA's annual reports and accounts each year. These are available on the DEFRA website.
	Two individuals have held the post of chief scientific adviser in the last five years.
	DEFRA's first chief scientific adviser (CSA) was appointed on 27 February 2002. In each of the last five years the CSA's office has consisted of one full time HEO or HEO(D) Private Secretary, and one full time EO Assistant Private Secretary. Since June 2011 the EO post has been filled on a part-time basis (20 hours per week).

Departmental Communication

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) press officers, (b) internal communications officers, (c) external communications officers, (d) communications strategy officers and (e) other positions with a communications remit were employed by (i) her Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) each non-departmental public body sponsored by her Department on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Richard Benyon: Communication functions in DEFRA, its executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies have been reviewed. The following figures reflect the situation at 25 November 2011. Job descriptions will vary from organisation to organisation.
	Detailed figures relating to smaller arm lengths bodies are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The Environment Agency figures cover England only.
	
		
			 Press officers 
			  Number 
			 DEFRA 17 
			 AHVLA 0.6 
			 British Waterways 6 
			 CEFAS 0.3 
			 Environment Agency 14 
			 FERA 1 
			 Kew 3.5 
			 Natural England 11.7 
			 Rural Payments Agency 1 
			 VMD 0 
			 MMO 0.68 
			 Total 51.78 
		
	
	
		
			 Internal communications officers 
			  Number 
			 DEFRA 7.8 
			 AHVLA 2 
			 British Waterways 2 
			 CEFAS 0.2 
			 Environment Agency 6 
			 FERA 2 
			 Kew 0 
			 Natural England 4.5 
			 Rural Payments Agency 5 
			 VMD 0 
			 MMO 0 
			 Total 29.5 
		
	
	
		
			 External communication officers 
			  Number 
			 DEFRA 8.6 
			 AHVLA 1.4 
			 British Waterways 5 
			 CEFAS 0.4 
			 Environment Agency (1)46 
			 FERA 0 
			 Kew 0 
			 Natural England 0 
			 Rural Payments Agency 2 
			 VMD 0 
		
	
	
		
			 MMO 1 
			 Total 64.4 
			 (1) Communication and engagement roles within the Environment Agency are integral to work with external partners to ensure that environmental outcomes are met, including working with businesses to help them comply with environmental regulations and increasing public awareness of flood risk. 
		
	
	
		
			 Communication strategy officers—central and corporate planning 
			  Number 
			 DEFRA 8.8 
			 AHVLA 0 
			 British Waterways 1 
			 CEFAS 0.1 
			 Environment Agency 20 
			 FERA 0 
			 Kew 0 
			 Natural England 0 
			 Rural Payments Agency 0 
			 VMD 0 
			 MMO 0 
			 Total 29.9 
		
	
	
		
			 Other communication positions includes managerial and support staff and online communications staff 
			  Number 
			 DEFRA 9.4 
			 AHVLA 2.4 
			 British Waterways 0 
			 CEFAS 0 
			 Environment Agency 18 
			 FERA 3 
			 Kew 1 
			 Natural England 13.7 
			 Rural Payments Agency 0 
			 VMD 0.5 
			 MMO 1 
			 Total 52

Departmental Food

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of food sourced by (a) her Department and (b) public bodies for which she is responsible was procured from UK food producers in the latest period for which figures are available.

James Paice: EU treaty principles of non-discrimination and the free movement of goods and services between member states prevent public bodies from discriminating in favour of domestic food suppliers. This is reflected in UK and EU procurement legislation.
	In June 2011 the Government introduced Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services which specify that food procured should be produced to UK or equivalent standards, except where that would incur an increase in overall cost. We want to drive up standards and encourage people to buy food with the highest production and animal welfare standards.
	Officials are taking action to encourage these standards to be adopted as a minimum across the public sector and this will include all agencies and arms length bodies with which DEFRA is engaged. DEFRA’s current catering contract covers the whole of DEFRA’s estate including Fera, the Rural Payments Agency, Natural England, AHVLA and DECC and we are working with the caterer to ensure that Government Buying Standards are met in full.
	The percentage of food under the contract between May and September 2011 that was sourced specifically from the UK was:
	Meat: 43.5%
	Poultry: 67.1%
	Fruit and Veg: 23.3% of total, 38.5% of indigenous.

Departmental Manpower

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people were working in her Department on (a) 11 May 2010 and (b) 8 December 2011.

Richard Benyon: Staff in-post statistics are compiled at the end of each month. The number of full-time equivalent staff who were employed in DEFRA, at the dates nearest to those requested, are as follows:
	30 April 2010: 2,558
	30 November 2011: 2,091.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each Minister in her Department in each of the last 12 months.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA's spend on hospitality organised through ministerial offices for the months requested is given in the following table. Spend is not recorded according to which Minister hosted a particular event. It is also possible that some spend on events hosted by Ministers was incurred by other areas of the Department, but this information is not recorded centrally.
	
		
			 Month Ministerial expenditure (£) 
			 November 2010 646.80 
			 December 2010 218.12 
			 January 2011 205.90 
			 February 2011 0 
			 March 2011 767.32 
			 April 2011 699.95 
			 May 2011 0 
			 June 2011 446.30 
			 July 2011 411.80 
			 August 2011 0 
			 September 2011 205.90 
			 Total 3,602.09 
		
	
	All expenditure incurred was in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been spent on hospitality by her Department since May 2010.

Richard Benyon: The total amount spent on hospitality by the Department since May 2010 through to November 2011 is £155,362.
	For information the following table includes the statistics for the preceding three years.
	
		
			  £ 
			 April 2007 to March 2008 320,850 
			 April 2008 to March 2009 216,086 
			 April 2009 to March 2010 400,271 
			 April 2010 40,274 
			 May 2010 to November 2011 155,362

Departmental Procurement

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what methodology (a) her Department and (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which she is responsible used to estimate savings to the public purse made in respect of its procurement and purchasing since May 2010.

Richard Benyon: On 15 November 2010, Official Report, columns 615-16W, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the right hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (Danny Alexander), said in response to PQ16752 that the Government had announced a more specific and innovative approach to efficiency and reform across the public sector, including:
	a reduction in administration budgets of 34% across the whole of Whitehall and its arm's length bodies saving £5.9 billion a year by 2014-15;
	radically reducing the number of arm's length bodies across Government; and
	the Efficiency and Reform Group's tough new efficiency regime which will drive savings in procurement, major projects and estate management.
	In August 2011, the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), announced that the Efficiency and Reform Group's new measures had saved £3.75 billion over 2010-11.
	This impact was assessed using methodologies attached at Annex A which describes the results across Government. The assessment has been independently verified by Government auditors who found the benefits assertions to be fairly calculated and presented.
	The Department, its Executive agencies and NDPBs also generate other procurement savings on other categories of expenditure through the four areas of:
	Renegotiation of existing contracts
	Efficiencies made in the actual buying process
	Demand Management
	Reconfiguration of service delivery on items such as telephony, interims etc.
	These savings are borne out in Department accounts. Note 10 (page 92) of the DEFRA Report and Accounts 2010-11 (HC1003) reports that non-pay Gross Admin Costs (excluding non-cash items) for DEFRA reduced from £253 million in 2009-10 to £222 million in 2010-11. Figures in this report are prepared in accordance with HM Treasury's Financial Reporting Manual for central Government Departments and associated Treasury resource accounting and budgeting guidance.
	In addition to using the methodologies described as follows for other categories, DEFRA uses the National Audit Office's definition of VFM to demonstrate savings.
	
		
			 Annex A—Activity and calculation method 
			  Activity Calculation 
			 Consulting Government put in place a moratorium on new consulting spend, and extensions to existing contracts. Where spend was considered operationally critical (for example, where it might put at risk critical services) an exception process existed for department ministers to sign off expenditure over £20,000. Savings are calculated by subtracting total departmental reported spend on consultancy for 2010-11 from total departmental reported spend on consultancy for 2009-10. To reduce the risk of costs shifting between categories, we also monitored expenditure on other Professional Services categories, including contingent labour. 
			    
			 Crown Commercial Government have renegotiated deals with some of the largest suppliers to Government. The method of calculation varies according to the initiative that yields the saving, but was based on cash releasing savings against a baseline of what would have otherwise been spent. This was often price savings against the previous price paid. Savings agreed with suppliers are recorded in Memoranda of Understanding as guaranteed-in-year or conditional-in-year savings. Realised savings were subsequently tracked back to departmental verification of supplier progress reports. 
			    
			 Contingent Labour Government have significantly cut the number of temporary staff. Savings are calculated by subtracting total departmental reported spend on contingent labour for 2010-11 from total departmental reported spend on contingent labour for 2009-10. 
			    
			 Communications Government froze all new marketing spend unless it is an operational necessity. Where spend was proposed, ministerial sign-off was required for £20,000 or above. Calculations compare departmental spend on marketing and advertising through COI for 2010-11 with that for 2009-10. 
			    
			 Centralising Procurement Government have started to centralise spend on common goods and services to drive down prices. These savings derive from the 10 categories of expenditure targeted for centralisation, and relate to price savings through increased aggregation. For each initiative, calculations are performed using individual benefit methodologies that set out how savings will be calculated against an 2009-10 price baseline. Evidence is management information provided by suppliers. 
		
	
	
		
			 ICT Government implemented: a moratorium on all new ICT spend above £1 million; and a review of all on-going ICT commitments. Departments reported those projects that were closed before undergoing the review. Calculations are based on departmental reports of spend that has not proceeded. Spend that has not gone ahead in 2010-11 is recorded, as a result of stopping or reducing spend. Further, sustainable savings are targeted through the Government ICT strategy. 
			    
			 Major Projects The Government's biggest projects were reviewed to see where 2010-11 costs could practically be reduced within contractual constraints, or wasteful projects stopped altogether. Government halted or curtailed spend on four projects: 14-19 Reform—£60 million Identity Cards—£50 million Highways Agency Projects—£54 million Whole Farm—£6.7 million Government have redacted £22 million of potential double counting from these figures, that arises between this work and our supplier renegotiation work stream. £14.9 million arises from the Home Office National Identity Cards and £6.7 million from DEFRA Whole Farm. HMT have provided assurance that the relevant amounts were removed from departmental budgets following the Major Projects related negotiations. 
			    
			 Property Government put in place national property controls such that signature of new property leases or lease extensions were approved centrally. It has not always been possible to net off all costs associated with vacating buildings. However, Government have also not claimed savings in respect of revenue from property disposals. Calculations are property by property based on the amount Departments have reported saved through the Government's property database by non-renewal of property leases at lease breaks or upon lease expiry.

Departmental Public Expenditure

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department spent on new furnishings in the last year.

Richard Benyon: Core DEFRA’s total spend for the last financial year (2010-11) on furnishings (including office furniture) is estimated at £227,124. This includes furnishing needs arising from office refurbishments and relocations.

Departmental Publications

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) leaflets, (b) posters and (c) reports her Department has published since May 2010; how much each cost; and which company (i) published and (ii) designed each.

Richard Benyon: Since May 2010 DEFRA has used two separate publishing contracts. For the financial year 2010-11 information is available on publishing and design costs for leaflets, posters and reports on a monthly basis as set out in Table A. However, exact numbers of individual publications are not available and could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost. This contract was handled by Communisis, who were appointed via fair and open competition, and who have handled the majority of such work for DEFRA in this period.
	
		
			 Table A 
			 £ 
			  Design costs Print costs Total 
			 May 2010 7,320 39,287 46,607 
			 June 2010 20,475 87,881 108,356 
			 July 2010 5,240 36,885 42,125 
			 August 2010 1,470 13,761 15,231 
			 September 2010 0 37,961 37,961 
			 October 2010 7,349 60,736 67,736 
			 November 2010 19,070 59,625 78,695 
			 December 2010 11,250 34,059 45,309 
			 January 2011 920 32,315 33,235 
			 February 2011 3,145 25,745 28,890 
			 March 2011 7,500 33,917 41,417 
			 Total 83,739 462,172 545,562 
		
	
	In total, 393 jobs were invoiced.
	Since March 2011, a contract with Publishing Delivery Service (PDS) was used, also appointed on a fair and open competitive basis.
	In addition the Central Office of Information (COI), and various agents who work with them, have undertaken some publishing and design work for the Department. Due to the way costs are categorised it is not possible to separate out design and publishing costs separately, although it is possible to provide a composite figure. Please see Table B for 2010-11.
	It is not currently possible to provide information on the 2011-12 financial year as figures have not yet been confirmed by final audit.
	
		
			 Table B: COI and linked agencies—financial year 2010-11 
			  Design and print costs (£) 
			 May 2010 6,635 
			 June 2010 4,471 
			 July 2010 3,391 
			 August 2010 38,341 
			 September 2010 608 
			 October 2010 2,886 
			 November 2010 1,520 
			 December 2010 23,717 
			 January 2011 4,475 
		
	
	
		
			 February 2011 37,647 
			 March 2011 21,666 
			 Total 145,356 
		
	
	In total, 163 jobs were invoiced.

Departmental Secondment

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what secondments there have been to her Department from (a) industry and (b) the third sector since May 2010; what the (i) purpose and (ii) duration is of each secondment; and whether each secondment was to a policy development role.

Richard Benyon: Since May 2010 there has been one secondment into DEFRA from industry and there have not been any from the third sector.
	The secondee is a technical analyst working on requirements, design and testing on the UK Location programme. The duration of the secondment is two years. The secondment is not to a policy development role.

Departmental Temporary Employment

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many temporary staff have been recruited to her Department between September and November 2011.

Richard Benyon: Temporary staff are people directly employed by core DEFRA under employment contracts of less than 12 months and paid via the DEFRA payroll. Between September and November 2011, no temporary staff were recruited to core DEFRA.

Detergents

Ben Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations she has received on the adequacy of regulation of the use of environmentally harmful chemicals in household detergents.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA has not received any representations on the adequacy of regulation of the use of environmentally harmful chemicals in household detergents.

Dogs: Tagging

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what estimate she has made of the likely cost to the public purse of the compulsory microchipping of dogs;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the operation of the voluntary microchipping system for dogs.

James Paice: Officials have prepared an assessment of all aspects of microchipping, including the voluntary system and the cost of compulsory microchipping, and this assessment will inform DEFRA policy.

Dogs: Tagging

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the mandatory electronic chipping of dogs; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: The Government support voluntary identification of pets—by microchipping, permanent identification and the registering of pets on nationwide databases. DEFRA Ministers and officials are currently engaged with key stakeholders from wider government, the police and animal welfare organisations concerning the content of possible legislation, including the microchipping of dogs.
	We intend to make an announcement on tackling irresponsible dog ownership early in the new year.

Elephants: Africa

Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what support the Government is providing through international organisations to tackle the poaching of elephants in Central and West Africa.

Richard Benyon: The UK as a party to the convention on international trade in endangered species (CITES) supports its efforts to maintain or enhance countries' enforcement capabilities. In May this year, the UK participated in a CITES-organised rhino and elephant enforcement task force meeting at which intelligence reports and methodologies were exchanged and strategies were developed to tackle the illegal trade in both animals across their ranges.
	The UK provides funds for two CITES monitoring programmes: Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) and the Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS), which were set up to monitor and assess the levels of poaching and trafficking to inform subsequent decisions in CITES.
	We will continue to look to engage constructively in international discussions on his issue and assist elephant range states where needed. For example, African elephant range states have recently agreed an action plan covering a wide range of conservation measures. The UK is contributing funds to this work.

Elephants: Africa

Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what financial support her Department is providing to the African Elephant Action Plan through the African Elephant Fund.

Richard Benyon: The Department has recently agreed funding of £32,000 for the African Elephant Fund in support of the African Elephant Action Plan.

EU Landfill Directive

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of the EU Landfill Directive since its introduction.

Richard Benyon: The EU Landfill Directive, first implemented in 2002, has helped bring about consistently high standards in the design, operation, closure and aftercare of landfill sites, the costs of which fall to landfill site operators. DEFRA has not undertaken any specific assessment of the estimated cost to the public purse of the Directive.
	In line with the waste hierarchy, landfill is the least preferred option for the disposal of biodegradable and recyclable waste. This is on the grounds that it is a waste of resources, and because landfill gas is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.
	The additional costs of the Directive requirements to divert biodegradable municipal waste from landfill above and beyond the baseline trend have largely fallen to local authorities. The Landfill Allowance Trading scheme (LATS) was introduced in 2005 to meet these diversion targets. DEFRA has allocated waste infrastructure credits (formerly PFI credits) to part-finance 32 local authority infrastructure projects which will divert biodegradable municipal waste from landfill. The payments to local authorities will total £4 billion.
	Subsequent to the introduction of the LATS, landfill tax has been raised significantly. This is in order to reduce the environmental impact of landfilling, and promote more sustainable treatment of waste both covered by the Landfill directive targets and that which is not. As a result, it was agreed as part of the 2011 Review of Waste Policy in England to end LATS in 2013. Both the proposals to set up the scheme and to end it were accompanied by impact assessments on the costs and benefits.
	Copies of these impact assessments are available on DEFRA’s website.

Fisheries

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of active fishermen in each (a) constituent part of the UK and (b) region in each year since 2001.

Richard Benyon: The UK fishing industry provides many jobs in coastal communities, and brings both social and economic benefits to communities where other opportunities to find employment are often scarce. The following tables contains data relating to the number of full-time and part-time fishermen. The data has been broken down into regions within each constituent part of the UK. Prior to 2004, the data collected regarding the number of fishermen employed in the fishing industry was only broken down into constituent parts, rather than the major port areas.
	
		
			 Number of fishermen employed through the fishing industry (full time and part time) by constituent part of UK 
			  Regular 
			  2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 England        
			 North Eastern 705 666 623 465 497 468 468 
			 Humberside 925 801 946 952 900 802 802 
			 Eastern 617 473 404 196 505 631 631 
			 South Eastern 1,042 1,235 895 1,272 1,230 1,191 1,191 
			 South Western 1,087 949 1,017 868 908 920 920 
			 Western 1,121 1,050 951 840 472 612 612 
		
	
	
		
			 North Western 61 56 61 99 58 144 144 
			 Total 5,558 5,230 4,897 4,692 4,570 4,768 4,768 
			         
			 Wales        
			 All Areas 806 796 805 376 341 417 563 
			 Total 806 796 805 376 341 417 563 
			         
			 Scotland        
			 Eyemouth 161 152 157 148 133 140 148 
			 Pittenweem 112 107 101 95 117 140 120 
			 Aberdeen 105 91 118 103 102 94 94 
			 Peterhead 374 273 412 469 434 408 400 
			 Fraserburgh 603 614 614 693 901 712 671 
			 Buckie 266 227 230 228 220 226 192 
			 Scrabster and Wick 214 157 165 197 191 170 168 
			 Orkney 305 284 288 317 287 275 277 
			 Shetland 260 304 315 352 257 246 231 
			 Stornoway 225 238 299 343 414 370 350 
			 Kinlochbervie 38 41 36 40 40 43 44 
			 Lochinver 41 35 28 22 22 22 21 
			 Ullapool 70 74 75 86 88 298 274 
			 Mallaig and Portree 254 268 297 290 296 290 277 
			 Oban 198 163 175 168 239 250 242 
			 Campbeltown 259 256 292 248 239 226 231 
			 Ayr 639 529 507 609 605 493 517 
			 Total 4,124 3,813 4,109 4,408 4,585 4,403 4,257 
			         
			 Northern Ireland        
			 North Coast 20 20 20 20 20 26 24 
			 Kilkeel 250 255 255 242 235 230 225 
			 Portavogie 176 154 185 195 186 187 176 
			 Ard glass 89 85 87 100 91 98 110 
			 Total 535 514 547 557 532 541 535 
			         
			 United Kingdom 11,023 10,353 10,358 10,033 10,028 10,129 10,172 
		
	
	
		
			  Part Time 
			  2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 England        
			 North Eastern 16 32 33 80 99 107 14 
			 Humberside 68 129 125 79 107 70 0 
			 Eastern 60 65 94 135 49 33 51 
			 South Eastern 238 47 397 15 311 102 364 
			 South Western 37 71 73 202 166 166 232 
			 Western 257 261 272 327 335 99 227 
			 North Western 149 141 66 59 85 13 68 
			 Total 825 746 1,060 897 1,152 590 956 
			         
			 Wales        
			 All Areas 370 335 354 597 534 434 553 
			 Total 370 335 354 597 534 434 553 
		
	
	
		
			         
			 Scotland        
			 Eyemouth 12 16 19 20 13 11 45 
			 Pittenweem 30 35 35 30 47 34 43 
			 Aberdeen 52 72 44 54 49 58 58 
			 Peterhead 43 0 45 0 31 53 24 
			 Fraserburgh 122 150 149 153 0 114 118 
			 Buckie 27 21 25 27 50 47 51 
			 Scrabster and Wick 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Orkney 38 51 54 73 43 146 132 
			 Shetland 187 147 156 174 216 184 217 
			 Stornoway 258 249 187 137 105 89 73 
			 Kinlochbervie 2 2 5 1 1 0 0 
			 Lochinver 5 10 8 3 3 3 1 
			 Ullapool 4 6 9 13 13 15 11 
			 Mallaig and Portree 98 113 115 82 79 45 43 
			 Oban 78 81 74 55 29 29 23 
			 Campbeltown 70 69 35 34 32 28 28 
			 Ayr 125 136 136 245 96 90 42 
			 Total 1,151 1,158 1,096 1,101 807 946 909 
			         
			 Northern Ireland        
			 North Coast 5 5 12 12 12 30 30 
			 Kilkeel 50 25 25 60 60 60 62 
			 Portavogie 24 20 22 22 15 17 15 
			 Ard glass 5 5 7 7 6 6 6 
			 Total 84 55 66 101 93 113 113 
			         
			 United Kingdom 2,430 2,294 25,76 2,696 2,586 2,083 2,531 
		
	
	
		
			  Total 
			  2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 England        
			 North Eastern 721 698 656 545 596 575 531 
			 Humberside 993 930 1,071 1,031 1,007 872 820 
			 Eastern 677 538 498 331 554 664 581 
			 South Eastern 1,280 1,282 1,292 1,287 1,541 1,293 1,585 
		
	
	
		
			 South Western 1,124 1,020 1,090 1,070 1,074 1,086 1,223 
			 Western 1,378 1,311 1,223 1,167 807 711 898 
			 North Western 210 197 127 158 143 157 135 
			 Total 6,383 5,976 5,957 5,589 5,722 5,358 5,773 
			         
			 Wales        
			 All Areas 1,176 1,131 1,159 973 875 851 1,116 
			 Total 1,176 1,131 1,159 973 875 851 1,116 
			         
			 Scotland        
			 Eyemouth 173 168 176 168 146 151 193 
			 Pittenweem 142 142 136 125 164 174 163 
			 Aberdeen 157 163 162 157 151 152 152 
			 Peterhead 417 273 457 469 465 461 424 
			 Fraserburgh 725 764 763 846 901 826 789 
			 Buckie 293 248 255 255 270 273 243 
			 Scrabster and Wick 214 157 165 197 191 170 168 
			 Orkney 343 335 342 390 330 421 409 
			 Shetland 447 451 471 526 473 430 448 
			 Stornoway 483 487 486 480 519 459 423 
			 Kinlochbervie 40 43 41 41 41 43 44 
			 Lochinver 46 45 36 25 25 25 22 
			 Ullapool 74 80 84 99 101 313 285 
			 Mallaig and Portree 352 381 412 372 375 335 320 
			 Oban 276 244 249 223 268 279 265 
			 Campbeltown 329 325 327 282 271 254 259 
			 Ayr 764 665 643 854 701 583 559 
			 Total 5,275 4,971 5,205 5,509 5,392 5,349 5,166 
			         
			 Northern Ireland        
			 North Coast 25 25 32 32 32 56 54 
			 Kilkeel 300 280 280 302 295 290 287 
			 Portavogie 200 174 207 217 201 204 191 
			 Ard glass 94 90 94 107 97 104 116 
			 Total 619 569 613 658 625 654 648 
			         
			 United Kingdom 13,453 12,647 12,934 12,729 12,614 12,212 12,703 
		
	
	
		
			  England and Wales Scotland Northern Ireland UK 
			  Regular PT Total Regular PT Total Regular PT Total Regular PT Total 
			 2001 6.057 1,392 7,449 5,353 1,284 6,637 513 46 559 11,923 2,722 14,645 
			 2002 5,587 841 6,428 4,369 1,338 5,707 568 43 611 10,524 2,222 12,746 
			 2003 4,866 1,404 6,270 3,918 1,088 5,006 458 40 498 9,242 2.532 11,774

Fisheries: North West

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to review Bylaw 5 as it relates to the North Western Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority.

Richard Benyon: The management of inshore fisheries, including cockling, has been devolved to the inshore fisheries and conservation authorities (IFCAs) through the Marine and Coastal Access Act (2009) and they are responsible for completing a review of all byelaws by April 2015. I understand that the North Western IFCA is urgently reviewing Byelaw 5 and will be discussing possible revisions in due course.

Fisheries: North West

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the North Western Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority on enforcement of approved licences.

Richard Benyon: The North Western Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) is responsible for the management of inshore fisheries in the north west, including the enforcement of licences. This is a matter for North Western IFCA, having been delegated these powers under the Marine and Coastal Access Act (2009).

Fisheries: North West

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to ensure that those who hold licences issued by the North Western Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (NWIFCA) are able to exercise their employment; and what assessment she has made of the loss of earnings of NWIFCA-licensed cockle fisherman.

Richard Benyon: The North Western Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) issues licences for various activities as part of their management of inshore fisheries on the north west coast of England. Should the need arise, the IFCA can close a fishery, as recently happened with the cockle beds on the Ribble Estuary and the Wirral. The closure of a fishery and any decision to re-open it is a matter for the IFCA. Consequently, no assessment has been made by DEFRA of the loss of earning to licensed cockle fishermen in the north west as a result of the recent fishery closures.

Fishing Catches

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the total tonnage of fish discards in UK waters in each year of the Common Fisheries Policy's operation.

Richard Benyon: UK fisheries laboratories have been sending scientific observers to sea to record the quantity of fish discarded by the UK since 1975. The data collected on these trips is used to estimate the quantities offish discarded by UK vessels in European waters. Figures are estimates only, with the accuracy of the figures depending on the level of sampling coverage.
	A breakdown of discards by fishery is available for 2008 to 2010 and summarised in the following table. Figures for 2011 have yet to be analysed.
	While data have been collected by Government laboratories since 1975, estimates made prior to 2008 are not available in the same format. For this reason they are not included.
	
		
			 Discard estimates (kilotonnes per year) 
			  English and Welsh  (1 )  (demersal) Scottish (cod, haddock, whiting, saithe only) UK pelagic species Total 
			 2008 9.4 35.1 4.9 49.9 
			 2009 (2)24.406 24.401 8.27 59.085 
			 2010 (2)26.626 25.071 (3)— 51.697 
			 (1) Northern Irish estimates are unavailable across all years. (2) Sampling coverage has generally improved in some areas and fleets since 2009. Since 2009 English and Welsh estimates include discards of all species, not just quota species. Furthermore, the under 10m sector estimates have also been included. (3) Unavailable. 
		
	
	The UK is running a number of initiatives to reduce discards. These include trials of catch quota management (a quota for what is caught at sea rather than landed at port) for North sea cod and area 7e sole. Results have been very positive. For example, the English catch quota scheme has reduced discards of species subject to catch quotas to 0.25%. Through trialling catch quota and other standalone projects, the UK continues to encourage fishermen to take up and develop more selective fishing gears to avoid unwanted catches in the first place.
	DEFRA has also commissioned the Fishing for the Markets research to look at the market side of the problem. The research made recommendations on how to increase the consumption and use of under-utilised, sustainable species that are often discarded. The work is continuing in partnership with the Seafood Industry.

Flood Control: Finance

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the effect of changes in spending on flood defences on the budgets for clearing up after flooding of (a) her Department, (b) local authorities, (c) insurance companies and (d) local land owners;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the effect of changes on spending on flood defences on the cost of clearing up after flooding in Sefton, West Lancashire and Ribble.

Richard Benyon: Central Government responsibility for recovery after a flood, including clearing-up, rests with the Department for Communities and Local Government. Therefore there has been no impact on budgets for clearing up after flooding as a result of changes in spending on flood defences.

Food: Exports

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to promote exports of British food to other EU member states.

James Paice: DEFRA has a key role to play in supporting the food and farming sector become more competitive and sustainable. Taking advantage of new opportunities in overseas markets is important to the UK’s long-term growth prospects for the sector, and DEFRA works closely with UK Trade and Investment to help realise opportunities in international markets.
	We are progressing work on the DEFRA Business plan commitment to work with the food and drink industry, and other Government Departments, to take full advantage of the potential for growth through overseas trade (including by identifying global market opportunities and barriers to exports). As part of this, the Government announced in the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), autumn statement of 29 November 2011, Official Report, columns 799-810, a commitment to publish a joint government/industry Agri-food and Drink Exports Action plan in January 2012, which will set a shared vision to drive export growth in the sector as well as setting out areas for immediate action.
	The Action plan will focus on opening international markets for the food and farming sector, ensuring the right information and support is available to help companies succeed overseas, simplifying the process for food specific export paperwork, and promoting the best of British food and drink overseas. To support this, last year I personally attended Anuga in Germany, one of the world’s largest food and drink tradeshows, to support UK companies working to access overseas markets both in the EU and beyond.

Food: Waste

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will consider reviewing the best before dates for low-risk food products for the purposes of reducing food waste.

James Paice: DEFRA issued guidance on the application of date marking to food businesses in September 2011 to help them improve the consistency of the use of the ‘best before’ and ‘use by’ date marks to prevent food being needlessly thrown away.
	The guidance will help businesses to decide whether to label their food products with either a ‘best before’ or a ‘use by’ date. Either one or the other of these dates is required by law but the choice is a technical decision by the food manufacturer. The guidance is principally a decision tree asking a series of important questions around the production of a food product from a microbiological perspective.
	The guidance also includes a short guide especially prepared to assist small and medium-sized business. It will aid compliance with the law and assist food businesses which do not have in-house knowledge or expertise to decide which date marks should apply to which foods and if they need to seek further advice, e.g. from their local authority or a specialist food consultant.

Food: Waste

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to reduce waste across the food supply chain.

James Paice: The Government's “Review of Waste Policy in England”, published in June 2011, sets out our aim to move towards a zero waste economy. It outlines our long-term vision for food waste, which includes substantially reducing the amount arising.
	DEFRA is working with food retailers and manufacturers via the Courtauld Commitment, a responsibility deal aimed at improving resource efficiency and reducing the carbon and wider environmental impact of the grocery retail sector. We are also working with industry, the Devolved Administrations and the Waste and Resources Action programme to develop a new responsibility deal with the hospitality and food service sectors to reduce food and packaging waste and ensure that unavoidable waste is managed sustainably.
	We will continue to work with businesses and consumers to ensure less food is wasted by sharing insight, evidence and best practice, improving product design and retail and supply chain practice, engaging consumers, and encouraging local partnership approaches.
	We will also lead by example by tackling food waste across the public sector estate.

Government Procurement Card

Chris Kelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many Government Procurement Card transactions were made by her Department's officials withdrawing cash from automated teller machines from 2006-07 to 2009-10; at what cost; and on which dates.

Richard Benyon: Information prior to 1 June 2009 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The following table provides detail of cash withdrawals by officials working in support of Ministers in core DEFRA for the period 1 June 2009 to 31 March 2010. The cost of these withdrawals was £124.54.
	Cash is withdrawn to cover the reasonable costs of providing modest refreshments for ministerial meetings, including with external stakeholders, and a full log of receipts is kept to account for this.
	
		
			 1 June 2009 to 31 March 2010 
			 Expense line date Justification £ 
			 24 September 2009 Cash taken out for Petty Cash—24 September 2009 100.00 
			 4 November 2009 Petty Cash for Secretariat Messengers (Exemption agreed) 200.00 
			 23 November 2009 Petty Cash for Secretariat Messengers (Exemption agreed) 200.00 
			 1 February 2010 Petty Cash for Secretariat Messengers (Exemption agreed) 200.00 
			 1 March 2010 Petty Cash for Secretariat Messengers (Exemption agreed) 200.00 
			 25 October 2009 Taxi, food, subsistence 80.00 
			 13 December 2009 Taxi £70, subsistence 80.00 
			 22 November 2009 Taxi, food, subsistence 40.00 
			 25 February 2010 Cash to cover taxi/tube/fares 30.00 
			 14 January 2010 Cash to cover future bus/tube/taxis for meetings 30.00 
			 23 July 2009 Cash for travel with Minister 50.06 
			 7 October 2009 Cash for taxi to Department to pick up papers then on to train station for ministerial visit 40.00 
			 7 October 2009 Cash for Minster's taxi from station 40.00 
			 2 December 2009 Cash in USD to cover expenses during Ghana trip 100.87 
			 24 November 2009 Cash to pay for Minister and PS visas to Ghana 60.00 
			 25 February 2010 Cash to cover taxis and other small expenses 40.00 
			 16 November 2009 Cash to cover taxi during Ross on Wye trip 30.00 
			 20 November 2009 Cash handling fee 20.00 
			 6 October 2009 Petty Cash for Secretariat Messengers (Exemption agreed) 200.00 
			 5 August 2009 Petty Cash for Secretariat Messengers (Exemption agreed) 200.00 
			 11 May 2009 Petty Cash for Secretariat Messengers (Exemption agreed) 200.00 
			 16 September 2009 Reimburse Minister and pay for incidentals on trip: £89 for Minister's hotel on 9 September 2009 £8.50 for incidental costs on 9 September 2009 £98 train tickets on 6 September 2009 £32 taxi fares on 15-17 September 2009 220.00 
			 31 July 2009 Cash withdrawal to reimburse Minister's incidental expenses 130.00 
			 22 June 2009 Cash withdraw to exchange to Euros 100.47 
		
	
	
		
			 21 October 2009 Cash withdrawal to pay for:£30 taxi from Bristol Airport to Communicate Conference Venue on 21 October 2009 £75 taxi from Conference Venue to Swindon to catch train for debate in house 21 October 2009 £10.54 lunch at Swindon train station 100.00 
			 4 November 2009 Cash withdrawal to pay for: £18—taxi from Edinburgh airport to conference venue on 4 November 2009 £7.10—drinks at venue 4 November 20090 £5.60—taxi from venue to hotel on 4 November 2009 £16.50—taxi from hotel to airport on 5 November 2009 100.00 
			 10 August 2009 Cash withdrawal to reimburse the Minister and pay for incidentals on the trip to Scotland: £13 lunch at Fort William £14 coffees/minor refreshments for two in Mallaig £20 taxi from train station to hotel £20 and £18 taxi fares from Bridgend to Maesteg 100.00 
			 7 August 2009 To reimburse the Minister: £75 for Hotel in Crewe on 27 July 2009 £22 for taxi from Bridgend to Maesteg on 22 July 2009 100.00 
			 20 October 2009 Cash Withdrawal in Luxembourg to pay for lunch and miscellaneous expenses while at Fisheries Council 93.98 
			 24 June 2009 Cash withdrawal to reimburse Minister 90.00 
			 7 October 2009 Cash withdrawal of 500DKK to pay for:225DKK for taxi from venue to airport on 8 October 2009 103DKK for taxi from hotel to conference venue on 8 October 2009 170DKK miscellaneous (coffee etc.) 64.02 
			 7 October 2009 Currency exchange from £ to 400DKK to pay for:80DKK for drinks at airport on 7 October 2009 209DKK for taxi from airport to hotel on 7 October 2009 206DKK for dinner at airport on 8 October 2009 56.55 
			 21 October 2009 Cash withdrawal to pay for taxi from Paris hotel to CDG Airport 60EUR 55.95 
			 26 July 2009 Cash withdrawal from Grantham Station to pay for taxis to and from CLA Game Fair (return taxi receipt missing) 50.00 
			 15 December 2009 Cash withdrawal in Brussels to purchase coffees and lunches throughout Council proceedings on 14-16 December 46.14 
			 7 December 2009 Cash withdrawal to pay for taxis, coffee and lunch for the Minister's trip while in Scotland on 7 December 40.00 
			 1 February 2010 Cash withdrawal to fund £30 taxi following cancelled train and £10.04 for food at the station 40.00 
			 8 December 2009 To reimburse Minister for taxis from Scotland Office in Edinburgh to Airport on 7 December 20.00

Japan Tobacco

Peter Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether any (a) Ministers and (b) special advisers in her Department have received hospitality from Japan Tobacco International since May 2010.

Richard Benyon: Information about hospitality received by Ministers and special advisers is published quarterly by Departments. Information for the period 13 May 2010 to 30 June 2011 can be accessed on DEFRA's website. Information for 1 July 2011 onwards will be published in due course.
	DEFRA Ministers and special advisers have not received hospitality from Japan Tobacco International since May 2010.

Livestock Industry

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make it her policy to oppose the European Commission's proposals to legislate against the prophylactic use of antibiotics in livestock farming.

James Paice: The European Parliament's resolution of 27 October 2011 called for the phasing out of the prophylactic use of antibiotics in livestock farming. The European Commission's communication on its “Action plan against the rising threats from antimicrobial resistance”, published on 17 November 2011, did not specifically mention prophylaxis when referring to the veterinary use of antibiotics. The European Commission has not yet published any proposals to change EU legislation on the regulation of veterinary medicines.

Marine Conservation Zones

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many sites have been assessed as having adequate supporting scientific evidence for designation as a marine conservation zone.

Richard Benyon: The independent Science Advisory Panel (SAP) recently carried out an initial assessment of the evidence base for the proposed marine conservation zone (MCZ) sites. This assessment was based on the information presented by the four regional MCZ projects. The SAP concluded that around 25% of the recommendations appeared to be well supported by the evidence presented and recommended an in-depth review of the evidence base for all proposed sites. The SAP's report can be found within the MCZ pages on the DEFRA website:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/marine/protect/mpa/mcz/sap/
	In line with the SAP's recommendations, DEFRA is currently commissioning the in-depth review into site proposals.

Marine Conservation Zones

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether funding for improving the scientific evidence base for marine conservation zones will be distributed across all such zones where further evidence is required.

Richard Benyon: The review of the evidence base underpinning the recommendations of the four regional projects is expected to consider all site recommendations.
	Discussions are underway between DEFRA and its delivery partners on the best approach to commissioning additional sea bed and habitat monitoring in English waters. This is to ensure we make the best use of additional funding to support marine conservation zone designation.

National Parks: Public Consultation

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects the review by National Park Authorities on arrangements for local governance to be completed.

Richard Benyon: I announced the Government's decisions on the review in a parliamentary written statement on 13 September 2011, Official Report, column 43WS.

Rural Areas: Finance

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the £165 million funding for the rural economy that her Department announced on 29 November 2011 was additional to funding previously allocated to her Department by HM Treasury.

Richard Benyon: No additional funding has been allocated to DEFRA to finance the package of measures announced on 29 November 2011 by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. However, DEFRA is using its existing resources efficiently in order to deliver a valuable boost to the rural economy. This includes redirecting £20 million of DEFRA's planned contributions to the Regional Growth Fund (RGF) to support Rural Growth Networks and the Rural Community Renewable Energy Fund; and the targeting of £100 million (previously unallocated) from the Rural Development Programme for England 2007-13 on supporting rural businesses. In addition, other Government Departments and public bodies, such as the Home Office (up to £2.3 million will support women-led businesses particularly in Rural Growth Networks) and Visit England (£12 million, including an element of its recent RGF award, will be used to support rural tourism) are contributing resources to the package.

Third Sector

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much direct funding her Department provided to each civil society organisation it funded in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13, (d) 2013-14 and (e) 2014-15; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Veterinary Laboratories Agency

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the site property valuations are of the regional veterinary laboratory centres in England and Wales.

James Paice: The existing use values as at 1 April 2010 of the regional veterinary laboratory centres in England and Wales are:
	
		
			 Location Existing use value (£) 
			 Shrewsbury 3,085,000 
			 Preston 5,020,000 
			 Langford, Bristol 905,000 
			 Exeter 5,105,000 
			 Truro 690,000 
			 Thirsk 3,580,000 
			 Winchester 3,350,000 
			 Newcastle 2,195,000 
			 Bury St Edmunds 3,510,000 
			 Luddington 4,110,000 
			 Carmarthen 2,060,000 
			 Aberystwyth 820,000 
			 Notes:  1. These figures are asset valuations prepared for resource accounting purposes. The majority of the properties are assessed on a depreciated replacement cost basis due to their specialist nature.  2. DEFRA does not currently hold open market valuations for these properties.  3. Where sites are shared, the value shown is for the entire site.  4, These figures exclude Sutton Bonington and Penrith which are both leasehold properties. The main central veterinary laboratory at Weybridge is also excluded as it is not classified as a regional laboratory.

Water Charges

Jim Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she plans to replace the use of rateable values in the calculation of bills for unmetered domestic water supply.

Richard Benyon: There are no plans to replace the use of rateable values in the calculation of bills for unmetered domestic water supply.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Big Lottery Fund

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many applications for Big Lottery funding were made in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside and (c) the north-east in each of the last five years; and how many were (i) successful and (ii) unsuccessful.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
	The figures requested are in the following tables:
	
		
			 Jarrow constituency: Projects with a correspondence address within the constituency (figures exclude projects based elsewhere and serving this constituency) 
			  2007 2008 2009 2010 2011  (1) 
			 Awarded 25 28 15 21 14 
			 Rejected 32 38 33 28 15 
			 All 57 66 48 49 29 
			 (1) Figures for 2011 exclude the two applications received in the year that are still in assessment. 
		
	
	
		
			 South Tyneside: Projects with a correspondence address within the unitary authority (figures exclude projects based elsewhere and serving this unitary authority) 
			  2007 2008 2009 2010 2011  (1) 
			 Awarded 50 48 34 38 23 
			 Rejected 60 65 62 53 35 
			 All 110 113 96 91 58 
			 (1) Figures for 2011 exclude the seven applications received in the year that are still in assessment. 
		
	
	
		
			 North-east region: Projects with a correspondence address within the unitary authority (figures exclude projects based elsewhere and serving this region) 
			  2007 2008 2009 2010 2011  (1) 
			 Awarded 708 695 567 426 469 
			 Rejected 1031 966 926 891 798 
			 All 1,739 1,661 1,493 1,317 1,267 
			 (1) Figures for 2011 exclude the 109 applications received in the year that are still in assessment.

Big Lottery Fund

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many applications for Big Lottery funding were made in each parliamentary constituency in each of the last five years; and how many were unsuccessful.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
	A copy of the data requested will be placed in the Library of the House.

Works of Art

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of unlisted and unprotected outdoor public works of art in England; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of local authorities that have undertaken an audit of the public art outdoors in their area; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: The Public Monuments and Sculpture Association, the lead body for our outdoor sculptural heritage, has received funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and other organisations for their National Recording Project, which aims to make a survey of public monuments and sculpture across Britain. The database already includes more than 9,300 entries.
	Many local authorities own and maintain public art outdoor works and organise their own records. This Department does not hold an estimate of the number of local authorities which have undertaken an audit.